


All the Pretty Girls

by BirdOfHermes



Series: The Thirst Trials [19]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arranged Marriage, Asgardian Reader (Marvel), Banter, Childhood Friends, Clothed Sex, Courtship, Dom Thor (Marvel), Eventual Smut, F/M, Fingerfucking, Flirting, Friendship/Love, Jealous Loki (Marvel), Jealous Thor (Marvel), Love Triangles, Male-Female Friendship, Mutual Pining, Odin (Marvel)'s A+ Parenting, Odin (Marvel)'s Bad Parenting, Odin (Marvel)'s Good Parenting, POV First Person, Past Jane Foster/Thor, Possessive Thor (Marvel), Post-Avengers (2012), Pre-Thor: The Dark World, Rough Oral Sex, Semi-Public Sex, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Thor (Marvel) is Not Stupid, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Unrequited Crush, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension, matchmaker
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2021-01-26 16:23:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 32,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21377041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BirdOfHermes/pseuds/BirdOfHermes
Summary: Odin charges Thor with finding a bride if he is to someday rule Asgard. Frigga asks you to "help" Thor find a bride, but it's really a ruse to stall until they can convince Odin it's not necessary. But, along the way to finding Thor the perfect woman for him, you discover she may be closer than you think. Post Avengers, pre Dark World AU.
Relationships: Frigga | Freyja/Odin (Marvel), Jane Foster/Thor, Loki/Original Female Character, Loki/Reader, Thor/Original Female Character, Thor/Reader
Series: The Thirst Trials [19]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1103739
Comments: 90
Kudos: 335





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a very unoriginal idea, I know, sorry, but it seems like it might be fun, so here we are. I'm sorry I have 354545 WIPs. My brain is very--SQUIRREL!

_Oh c'mon, oh c'mon, what's a boy to do_   
_When all the pretty girls can't measure to you?_   
_I don't understand your reasons_   
_Please stay over the weekend_

_You can't take all those things_   
_They define you and me_   
_Everything we've become_   
_You're all that I need_

_Please don't make me face my generation alone…_

_-“All the Pretty Girls” by Fun._

_ _

“My son,” Odin, the Allfather of Asgard, said solemnly as he stared at the kneeling God of Thunder. “In time, you will take the throne and be king. As such, you will need your queen. She will be your guidance and she will secure your heir as well as our family line. I charge you with finding a wife so that you may be ready when my time has come.”

Oh, dear.

Most of the people in the throne room who knew Thor took a sharp breath. Myself included. I snuck a look over at Frigga. She wore an extremely strained look, as if suppressing the urge to interject. I knew my lady quite well by now as one of her handmaidens. She certainly did not agree with Odin’s decision, but she held her tongue anyway.

“Father,” Thor said, his tone careful as he pushed to his feet. “I appreciate your consideration for my future, but I am unready to take a wife. Asgard needs protection, as does Midgard. A wife would suit me ill.”

“If you have time for a brief fancy with a Midgardian woman, then you have time for a real wife,” Odin retorted, his single eye narrowing at his son.

Annoyance flickered across Thor’s features then. “It was not a fancy, father. What Jane and I felt for each other was genuine, but with the Nine Realms in chaos, we decided it was best not to pursue it. I do not appreciate you dismissing my feelings. I understand why you feel it is necessary, but I assure you, it is not. I will not force a woman to look after me whilst I am still the protector of Asgard. If you wish to see your line continued, then reconsider Loki’s imprisonment instead.”

“Loki will not be king. His line is inconsequential.”

Thor’s hands balled into fists. “I am just as angry as you are about what he did to Midgard, but he is still my brother and he is still a part of this family.”

Odin slammed the butt of his staff against the throne room floor. “This is not a discussion. This is an order. You will find a bride. You will marry. You will have children. As your king, I have commanded it.”

Thor snorted. “I recall the last time you commanded me to do something, father. It did not go well.”

“Thor,” Frigga said in warning, stepping forward, her brows raised. Thor’s posture relaxed into something much less aggressive.

She faced her husband. “Might I suggest that I arrange for the marriage by assembling the most viable candidates from our allies and allowing them to court him?”

Odin paused and then nodded, a ghost of a smile on his lips. “Yes, my love. If anyone could find someone to love your stubborn son, it would certainly be you.”

She nodded. “Excellent. We shall begin right away.”

Odin sat on the throne and the court was dismissed. I gathered my skirts around me and headed for the hallway, as I knew that Frigga would want to speak to us. I could already hear her voice as she tried to soothe her agitated son. I didn’t blame him one bit. Odin’s order was unfair and highly biased. Thor wasn’t ready for a bride by any stretch, noble and funny and charming though he was.

The doors to Frigga’s personal suite flew open and Thor came barreling in, his face flushed with anger. “Mother, he is being ridiculous. What time have I for a wife? Have I given even one single indication that I would be a suitable husband?”

“Darling,” Frigga said as the guards pulled the doors shut. “Please listen to me. I agree with you. I do not think it is proper to force you to marry.”

She sighed and folded her hands. “But you are over a thousand years old and it is around this time that most Asgardians begin to marry and settle down. I believe that is what has put it in your father’s head that you should choose a bride.”

“An arranged marriage?” he spat. “You want me in an arranged marriage? It is immoral, mother. People should choose who they love. I do not want some poor woman gifted to me like a horse.”

“She will not be a stranger,” Frigga conceded. “That is why I bargained for the opportunity to help. Had it been your father’s choice, he would simply find the nearest woman and chain her to you.”

“Mother—”

“Thor,” she said, her eyes sparkling. “Please remember that your father did not specify how soon you must marry.”

Thor paused and eyed her then. “Have you mischief afoot, mother?”

She smiled widely. “Certainly. It will take quite some time to come up with a list of the traits that you find desirable in a wife, as it will sending official invitations for her to visit Asgard.”

Frigga batted her lashes. “Many, _many_ months.”

Thor grinned and kissed her cheek. “You are a genius, mother.”

“Thank you. Now then, I will not have time to gather your potential brides myself with all the duties I must perform as queen. Therefore, I will delegate the preparation to my handmaidens.”

Then, to my utter surprise, Frigga strode over and touched my shoulder. “I think she will be an excellent candidate to help you narrow down your choices.”

I blinked at her, then at Thor, and then bowed my head. “Yes, my lady. I would be honored to assist.”

“Lovely. You will be tasked with creating a list of potential brides and then we will begin the long, painstaking process of officially inviting them to court my son.” She gave me a wink. “Take as much time as you need, dear.”

I smiled back. “Yes, my lady.”

“Thank you, mother,” Thor said in relief.

“Always, my son.” She motioned for the other maidens to follow her out, leaving me with the future King of Asgard.

_“I would be honored to assist,”_ Thor echoed once we were alone, his blue eyes twinkling at me. “Bugger off.”

I rolled my eyes at him. “She gave me an order. I had to at least pretend to be interested.”

Thor chuckled and then gave me a quick hug. “How have you been, darling?”

I hugged him right back. “Well. And you?”

Thor sighed as he pulled away. “Oh, you know of the mess my brother made on Midgard. The past several weeks have been nothing but wars and skirmishes that resulted from Loki declaring war. Every upstart with an army saw fit to challenge us. It has only just quieted down for now, which is why my father’s nonsense is so ill timed.”

I winced. “Yes, he couldn’t have picked a worse time if he tried. I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “I am a prince. It was inevitable, I suppose. I had simply hoped I’d be spared for another century or so. How long do you think we shall have before he catches on that we are stalling?”

“We’ll see,” I said honestly. “After all, time isn’t much to the Allfather.”

“Aye.” He pushed a hand through his golden locks. “Shall we get started?”

“Yes, let’s get somewhere comfortable.”

“The garden?”

“Perfect.”

Thor offered his arm, smiling. “My lady.”

I pursed my lips at him. “Must you be so cheeky?”

“You are in control of my personal life. I must treat you with respect or you’ll marry me to a bilgesnipe.”

I grabbed a scroll and pen, then took his arm. “You’re not wrong.”

We strode through the palace, swiping a basket of goodies along the way, and then walked into the bright sunlight of Frigga’s magnificent garden. A flood of relief rushed over me. Thor relaxed beside me as well, for it was our favorite place in the palace. She had designed the entire thing and then instructed the gardeners on how to grow the most vibrant blooms and the sweetest fruits. It was so enormous that it regularly held parties and celebrations upon it. I loved to come here to read or eat breakfast before I reported in to help with my daily tasks.

Thor and I stole a much-coveted spot beneath an apple tree once someone vacated and plopped ourselves down in the soft grass beneath its shade. Thor poured us both some wine and then we dug in to pastries, cheeses, and fruits before getting down to business.

“So, Thor,” I asked, not hiding a playful grin. “What do you look for in a woman?”

Thor stared right into my eyes and said in total deadpan, “Breasts. Humongous breasts. That way I can smother myself to death in them and be spared this indignity.”

I giggled and made as if to write that down, but he gave me a little pinch. “Do not dare do that. If my mother were to see it, she would box both my ears.”

“Then stop being sarcastic and tell me the truth.”

Thor heaved a sigh. “I do not know. What do you think I like?”

I scoffed at him. “Oh, please, Thor. Of course you know what you like. Look, I know we’re just trying to stall, but Odin will request proof that we are working on this endeavor, so you’ll have to give me something to work with in the meantime.”

I bit my lower lip and decided to go out on a limb. “Tell me what you like about Jane.”

He winced a little, but he didn’t rebuff me. He took a deep sip of wine and shut his eyes, as if conjuring her image in his head. “She is…sweet. Kind hearted. Intelligent. Adventurous. A little naïve, a little defensive. And she always tries to do the right thing even at the cost of herself.”

That last part sounded very familiar, but I chose to keep it to myself. I wrote down those traits. “There. That’s a good place to start. Now we can get into more detail.”

“Like what?” he asked.

“Well, this is under the pretense that you will marry this woman and spend the rest of your life with her. She will live here on Asgard and you’ll be together often, so there will be habits and beliefs that need to align with your own if you’re going to be married.”

Thor’s brows lifted. “You intend to find me someone to love, my lady?”

“Yes,” I said firmly. “I know Odin just wants to hand someone off to you, but you don’t deserve that and neither does she. I will find you someone you can actually care about in the case that we can’t eventually convince Odin to abandon this idea. At the very least, courtship can take years at a time, so who knows? Perhaps you will fall in love and want to marry this woman.”

He stared at me in awe. “That is very considerate of you. I had not thought of it that way. I suppose if I have no other choice, it would be nice to have a companion I can get along with.”

Thor smiled and gave me a wink. “Aside from you, of course.”

“Oh, stuff it, Thor,” I said, biting into a blueberry pastry. “You’re not as charming as you think you are.”

He reached up and brushed a crumb from the corner of my lips, those blue eyes twin pools of teasing amusement and an unidentified emotion that made my belly clench with confusion and sudden desire.

“Yes, I am,” he murmured, his smirk somehow both sincere and antagonistic.

Oh, dear. This was going to be one hell of an assignment.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You begin work on Thor's fake courtship plan.

There were some tasks as Frigga’s handmaiden that I did not care for, but this one took the cake, as they say on Midgard.

Once per week, she bade me to deliver new books to Loki in the dungeon. Odin would not allow her to visit, not openly at least, and never in person. Frigga’s love for her wayward son never failed to touch me deeply considering the severity of his actions, but it wasn’t the most comfortable thing I had to do every week. I had known Thor since I’d come to work for the House of Odin as an orphan. Loki had always been in my peripheral. I took care of a few things he’d needed as time went on, but we didn’t have much interaction. Thor knew all handmaidens by name, always friendly and courteous to them. Loki’s arrogance prevented much of that and it hadn’t gone anywhere over the years. Each time I entered, placed the new books on his shelf, and left. He never once even gave me so much as a glance.

Until today.

The guards removed the barrier just enough for me to slip inside. I walked to his shelf, found a new spot for the several books Frigga had given him, and turned to go.

“So,” Loki said quietly from where he sat at his table, sipping herbal tea. “I hear the buffoon is to be married.”

I froze. It took me a moment for my manners to kick in, so I faced him and curtsied in greeting. “Yes, Prince Loki.”

“Mm,” he hummed, those blue-green eyes locked on my face, which might have been a first. “I also hear that you are in charge of this foolish endeavor.”

I licked my lips nervously. “Yes, Prince Loki.”

He smirked at me. “I fear it will be an impossible task to find a proper bride for that oaf. The walls of Asgard will be in ruins within a month of his ascension to the throne, I’d wager.”

Something rebellious and irritated rushed through me before I could stop it. “Won’t that be a good thing in your case, seeing as you are imprisoned?”

Loki snapped his book shut. I jumped on instinct. He stood and stalked towards me. Behind us, the guards bristled, reaching for their weapons, but I held out one hand. They stopped.

Loki didn’t touch me, but he came to a stop uncomfortably close. “You have a very impertinent tongue, fair maiden. Perhaps you should mind it.”

I held my ground. “I do not take kindly to anyone insulting Thor. Especially you.”

“Yes,” he said, idly toying with a lock of my hair. “Because you just know my relationship with my brother so well, don’t you?”

I batted his hand away. “That’s not why. I know him well. He would be a good husband…someday.”

Loki’s eyes lit up then. “Ah. So you have come to the correct conclusion that he is unready?”

I eyed him cautiously. “No. He is the one who has openly said it himself.”

“That displays wisdom beyond his years,” he said with a roll of his eyes. “I had thought he’d jump at the chance to have some little creature cleaning up after him and heeding his every word.”

“Thor is not like that and you know it. He would not be domineering and uncaring to his wife.”

“Really?” Loki said with heavy skepticism. “And what do you suppose he would be like, pray tell?”

“That is none of my business,” I sniffed, moving for the door. He intercepted me. Again, the guards motioned for their swords and I waved it off.

“I have little amusement down here,” Loki said. “Humor me, darling.”

I peered up at him. He hadn’t changed one bit, but slowly, something else sunk in. We didn’t know exactly what led to his acquisition of the Tesseract and the Chitauri army, but it was likely he had been alone in a sea of enemies for quite some time. It had probably been years since he’d had anything similar to companionship. It sunk in a moment later that it was possible he was a little lonely as well as bored down here. After all, Odin had declared he would stay here for the rest of his life, collecting dust just like those books on his shelf.

I took a deep breath. “Thor is kind-hearted and thoughtful. I think he would be a bit of a doting husband, but he would do right by his wife and understand that marriage is a compromise. Neither person’s needs overpower the other. They move forward as one.”

Loki studied me. “You have a surprising grasp of the concept considering you yourself are unmarried.”

I bristled. “It’s not difficult to understand.”

His smirk returned. “And what of you, little pet? Do you dream of the holy matrimony yourself or have you decided to abstain from marital bliss?”

“I’m still young. I have not decided yet.”

“I think you may find this assignment will help you with that decision.” He finally stepped to one side. “Do keep me apprised as to your progress. I could use a laugh.”

“Then I suggest you peruse through Frigga’s selection for you,” I said coldly. “I will not fail him.”

“Ah,” Loki simpered. “But will he fail you, I wonder?”

My hands balled into fists, but I held my tongue. Loki’s serpentine grin widened, his eyes glinting as he scooped my right hand up and kissed it. “Thank you for my books, darling. You are dismissed.”

I snatched my arm free and fled the prison chamber, his low mocking laughter following me like a malevolent ghost.

* * *

I was a rather literal kind of woman. When something annoyed me, I found that hitting things often cheered me up and released tension. I made my way to the practice quarry and threw axes, pretending my target was Loki’s smug face. And it wasn’t the first time I’d done this.

I swung, probably a bit too hard, watching the steel blade slice into the chunk of wood with vindictive satisfaction. Then I heard a familiar chuckle behind me.

“Let me guess,” Thor said as he walked up from behind me and wrenched the axe out of the target. “Dropped books off to Loki, have you?”

“How did you know?” I deadpanned, accepting the weapon as he handed it back to me.

“Loki has that kind of effect on people. Especially women.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, he thinks he’s so beguiling when in reality he’s infuriating.”

He gave me a sympathetic look. “I can only imagine how painful it would be to suffer through courtship with him.”

I snorted as I took my stance again and aimed. “I’d strangle him before we even finished eating the aperitifs.”

I launched the ax. It hit a little to the left, but still near the center. “You shouldn’t fight when you’re angry, you know. It puts you off balance. You’re rather good with an ax, as I recall.”

“I know,” I sighed. “Just needed to blow off some steam.”

I faced him, letting some of my frustration drop enough to smile. “How are you?”

“I’m in hiding,” he admitted, glancing to and fro. “They want me to go on this exceedingly boring journey for peace talks and I have had just about enough of formal dinners and long, boring counsel meetings. I hoped to escape here for a bit and wait them out. Perhaps they’ll leave without me.”

I tried not to giggle. “You’re the prince of Asgard. I’m pretty sure they’re not going to forget you like some kind of luggage, Thor.”

“Who knows? I might get lucky. Besides, I am sure the entire thing is just a façade. They mean to introduce me to the princess and I am desperately not interested.”

“Why, Thor,” I mused, batting my lashes. “Is she not your type?”

“She is thirteen feet tall and covered in spines and ooze,” he said, arching an eyebrow.

“Ah. The Kavorks, then?”

“Yes. I am afraid someone in the palace let it slip that Odin wishes to find me a bride. You’ll have to work faster.” He paused and then lowered his golden lashes a bit. “Or just convince him to let me marry you as a quick fix.”

I forgot myself entirely and hit him in the arm. Thank the gods no one else was around; I could be punished for attacking royalty, but it was an entirely knee-jerk reaction. “As if I would have you at all, you great nuisance.”

Thor pouted. “Oh, come now. It would save us both so much trouble. I would not have to wed someone I do not care for and you could be the Queen of Asgard.”

I blew a stray hair off my forehead and glared at him. “What makes you think I’d ever want to be Queen of Asgard?”

“You do have a rather commanding presence, you know, and you are ambitious.”

“How am I ambitious?”

“I’ve seen what you’ve put together so far for my brides to be. It’s in depth and organized and insightful. I think you’d make a fine queen.”

I rolled my eyes. Again, only because we were alone. Long ago, Thor stressed to me that he wanted me to act as if we were equals. He didn’t like the hierarchy of the palace. It had taken me a while, but I’d gotten used to speaking freely around him. “I’ve worked too closely with milady Frigga to ever want that title, thank you very much. Besides, no woman wants a man to propose just because it’s convenient, Thor.”

He rubbed his beard then. “So if I were to propose to you, you’d want it to come from the heart?”

I flushed deeply. “Stop it, you.”

He let out that fun, boisterous laugh of his. “I only tease, my lady. Tis all in good fun.”

I pursed my lips at him. “Keep teasing me and I’ll tell them where you are.”

Thor scowled. “You would not dare.”

I cleared my throat and angled my face towards the door, my voice loud and lilting. “Oh, guards!”

Thor cursed under his breath as he heard one of them talking to another. Then, before I could move, he scooped me up and hid behind us a nearby pillar, one finger to his lips pantomiming my silence. I gave him a haughty look as I heard them enter, asking after me.

“Please?” Thor pleaded in a whisper. “Do not make me go. I beg of you.”

“You dared me.”

He sighed. “Fine, I apologize for offending you, my lady.”

I preened a bit. “Apology accepted, your majesty.”

I kept silent and the guards eventually wandered back outside. Thor shook his head at me. “You can be quite wicked when you wish to be, you know.”

“Is there something wrong with that?”

Thor tilted his head and studied me. It was then I realized we were standing much too close together as a result of him crowding me to hide behind the pillar. His eyes traveled over my face leisurely, his smile tinged with just a bit of mystery. “Not at all.”

He brushed a strand of hair behind my ear and nodded to me, stepping back enough to let me breathe. “Good day, milady.”

I nodded to him, hoping he couldn’t hear how breathless he’d just made me. “Good day, Thor.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You need Thor's help with the courtship invite letter.

It was good that I didn’t see him for another week, as I’d needed a little time to keep from thinking too hard about our last interaction. By then, I had written up a proper “plan” for Frigga’s approval and we had gathered information on the most viable candidates within the nearest galaxies. Frigga instructed the other handmaidens to write personal letters of courtship on Thor’s behalf, so I needed to gather more materials from the prince himself. We could easily forge his handwriting, as we’d never task him with having to write romantic nonsense by hand to every potential bride. We made sure to take as long as possible on each step, too, to buy him more time. Odin’s plate had begun to get full, so things looked promising. There was a chance it would slip between the cracks and no longer be a priority if we were careful enough.

I sent word to Thor and he sent back that he could meet me in the afternoon once he’d returned from another mission. The guards let me into his suite, where I found him alone.

Bleeding.

“Thor?!” I gasped, nearly dropping my writing materials as I saw the long, dripping trail of blood oozing from his left bicep.

“It’s alright,” he assured me from where he sat on his lounge chair, a bowl of water on the sitting table with a white cloth floating in the middle. “Just a scratch.”

“My backside, it’s just a scratch,” I hissed between clenched teeth, stomping over and slapping his free hand away from it. I examined the wound carefully, noting how it bled freely, but not enough to indicate a nicked artery. “Stop the bleeding first, then clean it.”

“I was about to,” he protested, but I just ignored him and tore a strip from the cloth in the bowl, then made a second strip into a rectangular wad. I covered the wound and tied the strip around it tightly. “There. That’ll hold you for a few minutes, then I can dress the wound.”

“I did not invite you here to nurse me, you know,” he said mildly. “I have tended to myself quite a few times.”

“Is that why you have so many scars?” I replied.

He scowled at me. “I heal quickly.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Thor snorted and shucked off his shin plates. “Always have to have the last word. Alright, lass, what is it that you need from me again? A letter?”

“A love letter,” I lilted, batting my eyelashes. Thor gave me a baffled look and I giggled. “I need you to give me some wooing material. It doesn’t have to be long winded or poetic. We’re going to make copies of them and send them out to candidates. It’ll take quite a while and should stall things effectively, but we can’t fake it. It needs to at least sound like you.”

“Love is so laborious, isn’t it?”

“I’m afraid it is, your highness.”

He set the shin plates aside and stood, walking towards his closet. Along the way, he stripped off his chest armor and I almost shot out of my seat. “Thor!”

The demigod glanced at me, confused. “What?”

I flushed and spun around, not looking at the glory of his naked chest. “I’m not supposed to be in here when you change.”

“I have another engagement immediately after this,” he insisted. “I will not have time to help you and then change. I do not mean to offend you, but I am short on time.”

I blushed harder, mumbling. “I’m not offended.”

“What was that?”

I sighed and spoke louder. “I’m not offended. I just don’t want to get either of us into any trouble.”

“It’s only the two of us in here. No one will know.”

“The guards talk just as much as the handmaidens do.”

“Ah. I was not aware of that.” I heard him pause and shift something around. “The bleeding has slowed, my lady.”

I cursed my luck and made myself turn around, pointing to the couch. “Well, come on, then. You can’t bleed all over clean clothing.”

He walked towards me. The sunlight bounced off of his pecs and dripped down his chiseled abdomen so lovingly. The golden skin over his hips tightened and relaxed with every step. It took all of my will power not to just reach out and claw at his chest like a complete savage. Instead, I seated myself by the water basin and didn’t let myself look directly at him as he sat next to me. He offered his arm and I untied the makeshift bandage. He didn’t complain or even wince as I cleaned it thoroughly and then applied a healing salve and redressed it with bandages he’d already brought with him.

“Thank you, my lady. I hope I have not made you uncomfortable.”

His voice was completely sincere, but then when I glanced up at him, he wore a faintly amused little smirk as he noticed my lack of eye contact. I glowered at him. “You are infuriating, your majesty.”

The smirk widened into a sunny smile. “Thank you.”

I snatched up my quill and paper. “Stop teasing me and let’s get this over with.”

He chuckled. “Aye, as you wish, my lady. Perhaps you can help me get started. What is it that a woman would like to hear from a potential suitor?”

“Usually the whole royalty thing sells itself.”

“Point taken.” He grinned and headed back towards the closet, this time disappearing inside. I heard rustling and tried not to picture him getting naked. I failed. Thrice. “I suppose I should start by saying I humbly request to meet her after hearing lovely things about her.”

“Good start. How do you want to phrase it?”

“Dearest lady, I confess that I am most interested in making your acquaintance, having heard tell of what a fascinating woman you are. I humbly request that our kingdoms should meet for an elegant night of food, wine, and dance at a time of your choosing. I would be most honored by your presence. Please send word if you accept my invitation. I am grateful for your consideration. Eternally yours, Thor Odinson.”

I finished penning it. “Not bad.”

“Just not bad?” he asked. “What is it missing?”

“Don’t get me wrong; it’s effective, but I think maybe it’s a little generic. She might be able to tell you will be sending it to more than one woman. It needs something warmer.”

“I am not the most poetic fellow within these palace walls, you know.”

I rolled my eyes. “Thor, trust me, I’ve heard you court women before. Your tongue is nearly as silver as your brother’s when you feel like it.”

He laughed lightly. “Is that so?”

“Yes. Now give me something to work with here. It needs to sound genuine.”

He walked out of the closet in a forest-green tunic and pants, a new pair of boots tucked under his arm. He sat on the couch again, humming in thought before continuing. “In such chaotic times as these, it would bring me great joy to spend time getting to know you: your passions, your thoughts, your hopes, your stories. Be it hours or just a fleeting instant, I would cherish such time that you are willing to give me.”

Thor glanced at me. “What do you think?”

“Perfect,” I said. “Just what any lady would like to hear: that a man appreciates what makes her unique and values her time.”

He stood then, fully dressed, offering me his hand. I stood as well and rolled up my scroll. “I only hope I do not build up her expectations so high that she finds me disappointing.”

I arched an eyebrow. “She would have to be truly mad to find you disappointing, Thor.”

He searched my gaze for a moment. “So you can be sweet after all.”

“When I feel like it,” I sniffed. “Or once you earn it.”

“Oho,” he said, lifting his eyebrows. “I can earn your sweetness?”

I couldn’t resist a playful grin. “Maybe.”

“And just how would I accomplish such a wonder?”

“You’re a clever prince. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

His blue eyes twinkled merrily. “Shall I take my shirt off again?”

I paused, one hand on the door, giving him a severe look. “I assure you that isn’t necessary, your majesty.”

Then I winked at him over my shoulder as I knocked for the guards to let me out. “But I wouldn’t object either.”

His chuckling followed me out into the hallway, floating after me like a sweet song.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader prepares for Thor's first night of meeting the brides.

“Oh, darling?”

Once more, I found myself held captive by the silken voice of the disgraced prince of Asgard. I kept still, sighed under my breath, and faced the God of Mischief with as much patience as I could bear. “Yes, Prince Loki?”

“You seem to have misplaced my invite to the gala evening you have planned tonight,” Loki said, rising from his lounge chair. “I am most offended.”

Again, I fought the urge to roll my eyes. “Forgive me, your highness, but I’m afraid you will be unable to attend.”

“What a shame,” he mused, circling me. “I do so wish to see the collection of hopeless women desperate for my brother’s attentions, flitting about hoping to catch his eye, never knowing that it’s all a sham.”

“Are you done?”

“Not hardly, pet.” He came to a stop in front of me. Something of a cruel smile slid onto his lips. “Would you be so kind as to fetch me my water glass?”

I stared at him and then glanced at the table no more than about ten feet from him. “Are your legs broken?”

“Is that insubordination I hear, darling?” he challenged, his eyes narrowing. I clenched my jaw, knowing that the guards could hear him. I served the House of Odin and while Loki was a prisoner, he was still considered a part of the royal family. I couldn’t directly disobey him. He knew that.

I stalked over to the table and picked up the goblet, trying my hardest not to throw its contents into his smug face. I offered it to him. He scooped it out of my hand, his fingers brushing my own. I shivered. His hands were icy somehow.

He took a sip, staring into my eyes the whole time, enjoying my humiliation. “There’s a good girl. How many brides have been invited to the palace this evening?”

“Fifteen,” I said stiffly.

“And I assume it is a traditional affair, dancing and the like?”

“Yes.”

“Will you be in attendance?”

“Yes.”

“Excellent. You shall be my emissary.”

I frowned up at him. “What?”

“As you have so rudely pointed out, I cannot attend thanks to my imprisonment,” he continued, turning and heading for one of the dressers near the wall. He rummaged around for something. “However, I will not rot in this place like a forgotten relic. You will represent me at this affair.”

“That is not appropriate.”

“Ah, but it is,” he said, shutting the drawer once he’d found what he was looking for. “Odin may have passed down my sentence, but he did not formally disown me. Therefore, I am still royalty and I have a right to have a presence to represent me at palace gatherings.”

“Then call someone else to complete this task,” I hissed. “I am not yours.”

He chuckled. “Oh, but you are tonight, my little dove.”

Loki held up an emerald necklace with a thin gold chain between his long, slender fingers. “You will dress in my colors and you will wear this as a sign of whom you belong to for the night.”

He stepped forward. The words launched out of me like boiling acid before I could stop them. “If you touch me, I will have the guards filet you like a fish, Loki.”

The prince blinked at me in surprise and then laughed heartily at my expression. Hot blood flooded my cheeks. “Such a spirited little thing, aren’t you? Yes, you will do nicely.”

He held the necklace out to me instead, dangling it in front of my face. “Very well.”

I snatched it out of his hand. Fine. He could taunt me in here and I couldn’t do anything, but it didn’t mean he would know any better if I simply ignored him.

“Do not try to wriggle out of this,” he added, as if reading my thoughts. “You have been given a command and I will know if you do not obey it. I expect to see your lovely face down here after the evening has concluded. Do you understand me, darling?”

I fumed for a few seconds and finally ground out, “Yes.”

He leered at me then. “Obedience is a good color on you.”

“Chains are a good color on you.” I swept my skirts up in one hand and stomped out of his cell, hoping I’d been fast enough that he couldn’t see the frustrated tears gathering on my lashes. Cruel bastard. I hadn’t done this to him. I hadn’t thrown him in there to be locked away forever, and yet I was the one being mocked and mistreated. Why me? Did he really have no other forms of entertainment? Did he really need to torment me every week?

I returned to my quarters and tossed the wretched thing in a drawer, hoping the stone might shatter or the chain might snap, but it didn’t. I spent the rest of the day helping to prepare the festivities and dreading nightfall.

The bastard had given me a command, but it didn’t mean I had to follow it to the letter, so I dressed in gold and simply adorned myself with the necklace and emerald earrings that I borrowed from another handmaiden. Who, of course, gave me quite an odd look once I showed up in green and gold while most of the others were in other colors.

“Is there something you need to tell me, dear?” Sonya asked, watching me powder my nose in the mirror, my glare not deterring her in the slightest.

“Long bloody story,” I grumbled to her. “Any chance you’d care to switch dungeon duty with me?”

She scoffed, hands on her hips. “Spend time with the serpent? No, thank you. I had enough of the man even before he attacked Midgard. He was an insufferable king to serve during his brief tenure.”

“Wonder where he got that from,” I muttered under my breath, straightening my skirts. “Thank you for the jewelry. Shall we get this over with?”

Sonya chuckled as she patted my shoulder. “At least there will be wine tonight.”

“Thank the Allfathers.”

We proceeded to Frigga’s quarters, where our queen distributed the orders for what we were to assist with tonight. Most of the girls were to be at the beck and call of the potential brides. She instructed me to keep track of their arrivals and bring each of them to meet the prince at appointed times during the celebration, granting each one an appropriate amount of time to speak with him. However, she sent the rest of the ladies away and tugged me to the side.

“I can’t help but notice your choice of colors tonight,” Frigga said, one eyebrow raised. “Might I inquire as to what influenced it?”

“Loki has insisted that I be his ‘emissary’ tonight.”

Frigga shut her eyes for a second and seemed to quell her initial reaction. “Has he, now?”

“Indeed, milady.”

“That boy never ceases to amaze me,” she said with a sigh. “I suppose he has commanded you to tell him the results of tonight’s affair?”

“Yes, milady.”

She frowned. “I cannot see why it would be of interest to him at all. Loki never cared for such things.”

I folded my arms. “I am sure he means to meddle somehow.”

“Oh, undoubtedly,” she said, tucking her hands behind her and pacing. “But to what end, I wonder. We have instructed the guards to keep a close eye on him. I am certain he plots his own escape even now, but I cannot see how this would serve that purpose.”

“Well, he is the God of Mischief.”

“That he is. He may just be trying to agitate his brother.”

I blinked at her. “How would this agitate Thor?”

Frigga glanced at me in surprise, but the expression vanished quickly. “Oh, nevermind me, dear, I was thinking aloud. There doesn’t seem to be any harm Loki can cause with this stunt tonight, so for now, play along, but do tell me if you find that he has mischief planned. I appreciate your patience with this task. I know my son is not easy to deal with. He can be so hurtful when he wants to be, but…”

She exhaled. “There is goodness in him still. Whether he chooses to act on it is up to him.”

Frigga touched my shoulder lightly. “Let’s join the others.”

The palace’s formal dining hall seemed endless to me with its towering ceilings and columns and long, polished floor with intricate decorations and magic woven into the stone. Orchestral music played as the guests entered the candlelit hall. I stood stationed there accepting invites and greeting them one by one and making mental notes about each one. Of the fifteen potential brides, only half acknowledged me with eye contact and a smile or curtsy. I knew those that did not respect everyone the same would be the ones Thor would send home without even a hint of interest. Thor didn’t care for snobbery.

Once the guests arrived, they were corralled together to be announced by one of the courtesans. I gave them brief instructions to approach the royal family to greet them and then they would be allowed to dance with the prince one at a time over the course of the evening. After the introductions were finished and dinner began, I stole a little time to myself to eat and then dropped off the song requests to the court’s musicians.

After dinner, the dancing began. I hung back with my parchment and made notes as Thor twirled with each lady. I knew him relatively well by now, enough to tell which smiles were forced and which were genuine. I marked off the women who appeared not to have much chemistry with him and ranked the ones who seemed to have enjoyable conversations during their time together. It did annoy me somewhat to see them doing their best to press their breasts up against him or bend in seductive ways, fluttering their long lashes as if it were that easy to sway the God of Thunder. Goodness me, what a display. I wondered if he hated enduring it as much as I did watching it.

Once the dancing concluded, they ushered everyone to the garden to watch an evening display of magic by our talented sorcerers. I stole a goblet of wine and hid up on one of the small balconies by the ivy plants, breathing a sigh of relief that most of my task had been done.

“What a night,” I groaned to myself.

“Indeed.”

I jumped nearly a foot in the air and whirled to see Thor behind me, looking positively exhausted. He scooped up my goblet and drained it in one go. “Heaven help me, I have never been so happy to see an evening conclude.”

“Thor,” I scolded, clutching my pounding heart. “First of all, announce yourself. Second of all, you should be down there with your parents watching the demonstration.”

“I needed to get away,” he said. “Besides, the view is far better here than down there.”

I eyed him. He kept a straight face, lifting his brows in challenge to see if I’d say anything about the ambiguity of the comment. I decided not to engage for once. “You could have brought more wine if you were going to guzzle all of mine, you know.”

Thor brought his hand around from behind his back, brandishing a bottle and another goblet, grinning. “I did.”

I shook my head, trying not to laugh as he filled my goblet again and then his own. “And where did you pilfer that from exactly?”

“Private collection of my father’s,” he said, handing it back to me. “Whom we have to thank for this tedious evening.”

“You want me to be dismissed from the palace? I can’t drink the king’s wine.”

“I won’t tell if you won’t tell.”

“You are a terrible influence, Odinson.” I took a sip. Oh, my. Heavenly flavor, delicious aroma, smooth texture, just dry enough to be pleasant. “Terrible.”

Thor chuckled and settled beside me on the railing. “Only so that I may keep up with your wickedness.”

He cleared his throat. “Speaking of which, may I inquire about your choice of colors this evening?”

“Don’t start,” I groaned. “Please. I’ve already heard enough from your mother. It wasn’t my choice.”

He frowned. “How so?”

“It’s Loki’s fault. He insisted.”

“Why, exactly?”

“I haven’t the slightest clue.”

“Mm. He must be up to something.”

“He is _always_ up to something.”

“That is certainly true,” he muttered. “I wish it were his task to find a wife and not mine.”

“Why, Thor, you did not enjoy all these women throwing themselves at you shamelessly?” I said, unable to hide a bit of bitterness in my tone. “Did you not find it charming how they so obviously wished for you to whisk them away to live in the palace with you?”

“Nothing worth having comes easy,” Thor said. “That is what they say on Midgard. I do not wish for a woman who would give herself away in such a manner. I prefer to earn a lady’s affections. The pursuit is half the fun.”

I fought down a wistful sigh. It did sound a little fun, honestly. “The last person that chased me was the palace baker after I nicked that piece of pie last week.”

“Do you truly wish to be pursued?”

I arched an eyebrow at him. “Relatively certain I do, yes.”

“You do not appear to be open to such things,” Thor said, leaning an elbow against the railing to face me. “I do not mean to offend you, but you are very protective of yourself, my lady. I fear the men who would pursue you think you are not interested, so they keep their distance.”

“I’m not good at being vulnerable.”

He shrugged one broad shoulder. “None of us are. It’s just a matter of letting down your defenses.”

I squirmed, glancing away. “That’s how you get hurt.”

“And,” he said, tilting my chin towards him again. “That is how you find love. You cannot let fear hold you back if you find someone you care for deeply. It is worth the risk.”

“Easy for you to say,” I mumbled as a hot flush swarmed my face. “You have so much to offer these women, Thor. What have I to offer someone?”

He gave me a hopeless smile. “You are intelligent, loyal, witty, and charming, to say nothing of your loveliness. A man would be mad not to fall for you if you so desired it.”

“Silvertongue,” I accused before draining my goblet and demanding more wine. He laughed lightly and refilled it. We drank together and watched the brilliant lights below until it ended.

Thor heaved a sigh. “I must return to bid them goodbye. How do I look?”

I snorted. “Like you’d rather be asleep right now.”

“Gods, I wish,” Thor grumbled, brushing off his formal attire to be sure there were no lingering crumbs from dinner. He did have a few wine droplets on his beard, so I beckoned him closer and wiped them away with my handkerchief. I couldn’t explain it, but something felt…strange just then. Something in the way the moonlight glinted in his blue eyes, something in his expression as he stared down at me, something in how close our bodies were to one another. Perhaps I’d had too much wine, but I felt closer to him than ever in every sense of the word.

“Thank you, my lady,” Thor whispered.

“My pleasure, your majesty,” I whispered back.

Maybe it was the wine, but he stooped enough to lightly kiss my cheek. Then he was gone.

* * *

“Did you enjoy your evening, my little dove?”

“No,” I said frankly, thrusting the necklace right up near Loki’s obnoxious face. “Here.”

“I did not lend it to you,” he said calmly. “It is yours to keep.”

“I don’t want it,” I said between clenched teeth.

“Would you refuse the prince’s gift to you, maiden?”

My anger reached a boiling point. I took a few deep breaths to keep from flinging it right at his forehead. “No, your highness. I love carrying around the trinket of a maniacal, egotistical former warlord.”

The second I said it, I knew I shouldn’t have.

But…the guards didn’t lunge forward to scold me. Neither did Loki.

I shifted uncomfortably, glancing at the guards, and I realized they were chatting with each other, not even looking at the two of us. That was…unusual.

“Ah,” Loki said, straightening up with a smirk. “It has finally dawned on the little darling.”

I glared at him, fighting the sudden impulse to run. “What have you done?”

“Nothing too terrible,” he said boredly. “Just a concealment spell. The guards are hearing and seeing a conversation about the evening’s affair, not what we are discussing right now.”

“Which is what?” I spat.

“I took an interest in you for a reason,” he said. “I wish for you to speak freely. You cannot do so with them watching you and listening to every word, so I have given you the chance to express yourself.”

“I don’t believe you. You could be lying, trying to needle me into saying something that would get me dismissed from my duties.”

Loki laughed shortly. “Why would I do that, pet? You are the most entertaining creature I have encountered in the weeks I have spent in this hellhole. I have no desire to be rid of you.”

I swallowed hard, observing the guards again, and they didn’t appear to hear what we were talking about. I was in danger, then. If Loki could lay a spell over his cell, it meant he could do anything to me in here and they would never know it.

“Relax,” he murmured, lowering his lashes to give me a steady stare. “I have no intention of harming you. However monstrous Odin has made me sound, it is not the truth of who I am.”

“And who are you, Loki?” I demanded. “You’ve done nothing but insult me since the beginning. You find it fun to toy with me knowing that I can’t retaliate. How are you not the monster in this scenario?”

“If you are not clever enough to understand what I want out of you, it is your own fault. If you wish me to be a monster, pet, believe me, I can oblige you.”

He stepped towards me threateningly. I backpedaled, knocking over a chair in the hopes that a loud noise might break through the concealment spell, but the guards didn’t move. Loki caught my wrist and dragged me up against him. I held still, tensing unconsciously, expecting to be struck, but he didn’t try to hurt me.

“Is this what you fear?” he murmured, close enough that his warm breath brushed my cheeks. “Is this what you think of me? A savage creature who would devour you at the earliest opportunity? Is that what Odin and my brother have led you to believe?”

I gathered my courage about me as much as I could. “I have been in this palace for years and you have hardly shown me any emotions whatsoever. Then you are locked away in here and suddenly I am supposed to know your every thought. You are an enigma to me, Loki. You went to Midgard to conquer and you were defeated and now you have nothing. It stands to reason that you seek to conquer something else, because at least it makes you feel as if you have even an ounce of control over your own life again. Do what you want to me and then let me go.”

Something truly anguished shone through in his eyes for a second. He swallowed hard and let go of my hand, instead taking my shoulders in a far gentler grip, his voice the softest I’d heard so far. “I…I meant what I said. I am not going to harm you, little dove. I lost my temper. I would never stoop to such a level. I give you my word as a prince of Asgard.”

I didn’t know him at all, but I knew sincerity when I heard it. It was something I’d learned from Frigga. A tiny part of me relaxed in his grip. “Then what do you want, Loki?”

“I don’t know,” he muttered morosely. “You were not wrong. I have been cruel to you simply because I had no other outlet for my rage. You were a convenient target to terrorize. I found your defiance amusing and quite frankly, rather intriguing. I have not seen another handmaiden willing to defy me, for they fear me too much. I think this is perhaps why my mother chose you for this task.”

He took a deep breath. “I have no one else. Odin has forbidden my mother from seeing me in person. You are the only link to the outside world that I have any longer. Odin would sooner die than reverse his decision for my imprisonment and there is no guarantee he will die within my lifetime. I could be here for the next four thousand years. I will go mad without some form of companionship.”

Loki licked his lips. “I am…asking for it to be you.”

I stared at him, open-mouthed, speechless for several seconds. Eventually, words returned to me. “You…you’ve been bullying me this entire time because you were too prideful to admit you want me to be your _friend?”_

He scowled then. “Friend is too strong a word, my darling. I do not do friends. However, if you would forgive me my harsh treatment, I seek your presence. It does not have to be long, nor often, but if you would find it within yourself to visit for more than mere minutes, I would…”

Loki’s face contorted with several emotions, but he finally spit it out. “…be grateful.”

We stared at each other. I couldn’t come up with anything for a while, but I did finally. “I just want to remark upon the fact that you process emotions very poorly, Loki.”

He snorted. “How do you think I ended up here, darling?”

“Point taken.” I sighed. “It’s…too early for me to say one way or the other if I can accept your request. It’s a lot to process.”

“I am not surprised,” he said bitterly. “Everyone else in this bloody palace hates me already.”

“I don’t hate you,” I said gently. He eyed me, disbelief clear in his features, so I continued. “I’m scared of you, but I don’t hate you. I don’t know you well enough to hate you. I’m not going to ask you to treat me as an equal, for I am not one. If you can find it within yourself to treat me with an iota of respect, then yes, I may be able to fulfill your request for companionship. Fair enough?”

“Fair enough,” he agreed. “But I will not apologize.”

I snorted. “As if I would waste my time asking you to do so.”

Loki smirked. “See? We are getting to know each other.”

He paused and then offered his hand. I stared at it, confused. He rolled his eyes and indicated the lounge chair. I took it cautiously and he led me over to sit.

“Now then, tell me about the gala.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader and Thor have a close call.

I didn’t see Thor again for a period of time, but when he returned, he suggested we go for a ride. I certainly didn’t object; it could get awful stuffy in the walls of the palace, so I changed into pants and a light tunic and met him in the stables. We chose our horses and then escaped out into the sunlight, playfully racing our way towards the open fields on the southern side of Asgard. We rode out through the plains of wheat and then let the horses rest in the orchard while we walked underneath the heavenly blossoms to work on the next stage of our task.

“Well, at least we’ve arrived at one of the easier parts of this nonsense,” I said, brandishing the list of names. “Process of elimination. Tell me the outright no’s from the courtship ball.”

“As if you do not already know,” Thor teased. “I saw you watching rather intently. Let’s make a game of it, shall we? You tell me which of the potential brides I did and did not prefer.”

I scowled. “You make it sound as if I am obsessed with you.”

“I would never,” he said. “But you have an eye for detail and you have taken this whole ordeal rather seriously. Besides, it’s just for fun. I am interested to see how well you know me by now.”

“Egotistical, aren’t we, Odinson?”

“Just enough to be interesting,” he said with a wink. “Do you accept my challenge, fair maiden?”

I rolled my eyes. “What’s in it for me?”

Thor stroked his beard and then snapped his fingers. “I shall sneak you another bottle of Odin’s private wine selection.”

I chewed my lower lip. Once again, it could land me in terrible trouble if anyone found out about it, but on the other hand, the wine was to die for. I’d love a whole bottle to hide beneath my bed and indulge on those stressful nights. “Oh, alright. How many of them do I have to get right for a bottle?”

“At least twelve out of fifteen.”

I peered up at him and he added, “Well, it is exceptional wine, my lady, and I am stealing it at great risk.”

“Very well.” I held up the parchment. There was an enchanted sketch of each girl beside their name and title, so I began at the top.

“Violet: no.”

“Correct,” Thor said. “She spent the entire time we danced talking about how much gold it took to create my father’s throne, for heaven’s sake.”

“Gwendolyn: yes.”

“Correct.”

“Rosalyn: yes.”

“Correct.”

“Angelica: no.”

“Correct.”

“Florence: no.”

“Correct.”

“D’ambria: yes.”

“Correct.”

“Farrah: yes.”

“Correct.”

“Aurora: no.”

“Correct.”

“Sylvania: no.”

“Correct.”

“Penelope: yes.”

Thor paused. “Hmm, Penelope. I hadn’t quite decided about her yet.”

I arched an eyebrow. “Really? I figured she was your type: dark-haired, pretty, intellectual, driven. You danced with her the longest out of the bunch.”

He nudged me with his elbow. “See? You even timed how long I spent with them.”

“I did not,” I groaned. “I gathered their song selections ahead of time, so I knew how long each song would last in order to give each candidate adequate time with you.”

“If you say so.” He stared up into the treetops, his expression thoughtful. “I do not know. You are right. She was lovely and interesting, but something just feels as if it’s…missing.”

I nodded. “That’s okay, you know. We aren’t actually trying to find your soulmate. If we do so by accident, then that’ll be an added bonus.”

He smiled at me warmly. “I am pleased to know you believe in soulmates.”

I blushed. “Do you not?”

“I do. But I had worried perhaps your misfortune with men had hardened your heart. I am glad that has not happened.”

“Oh, I’m plenty cynical, just not about that.”

He stopped walking. “Do you think there is no soulmate out there for you, my lady?”

I shrugged. “I don’t presume to know something like that. Maybe there is and maybe there isn’t. It’s not up to me.”

“I see. And do you believe in destiny, my lady?”

I thought about it. “Yes, I do.”

“As do I,” Thor said. “I believe the universe has a way of leading you to where you should be.”

Then, he added softly, his smile still as warm as the sunlight around us: “And who you should be with.”

His gaze settled over me like a familiar, comfortable blanket. I wanted to look away, but I couldn’t. For a fleeting, foolish instant, I wished to be one of those girls twirling across the dance floor with him, someone of the right pedigree to be worthy enough for him.

But before I could say anything, I saw something out of the corner of my eye, behind a tree to the right of Thor’s shoulder.

And I reacted without thinking.

“Thor!” I shoved him as hard as I could. I’d acted just in time. I heard the twang of a bow and then searing pain slashed at the spot below my right shoulder blade. The arrow hit the trunk of the tree to our left, its feather quivering.

“My lady!” Thor gasped, catching me as I nearly fell to my knees from the stabbing pain of the glancing blow the arrow had made. Hot blood soaked my tunic and dripped down my spine, coating it. Thor scooped me up as carefully as he could and set me down behind the tree, safely out of harm’s way, and then ran after the culprit.

I heard a roar and a grunt and then the ground trembled from the impact. I tore a strip off the bottom of my shirt and wadded it up, then held a hand to the wound and pressed hard, fighting tears as the pain worsened. Once I felt the bleeding slow somewhat, I peeked around the tree.

Thor had an alien pinned beneath his boot, one hand out in a position I recognized. A second later, there was a huge gust of wind and Mjolnir flew by, kicking up flower petals and breaking branches in the wake of its arrival. Thor caught it and brought it within an inch of the assailant’s face. The alien shrieked something in another language. Thor replied to it and then dispatched it with a vicious kick to the temple. It flopped over in the grass, unconscious but alive. He then plopped Mjolnir on the alien’s chest so it couldn’t escape and hurried over to me.

“My lady, are you alright?” he asked, kneeling before me in the bed of leaves.

“It’s okay,” I told him. “It feels like a shallow wound.”

He exhaled. “Thank the gods.”

Thor dropped his forehead to mine and touched my cheek. “You did not have to do that for me.”

I smiled weakly. “You would have done the same, your highness.”

“Aye, but I am the God of Thunder, after all. I have scars aplenty. I do not wish to see you acquire them in my place.”

“I’ll try to remember that the next time there’s an assassination attempt.”

He lifted me in his arms as gingerly as possible. “There is a cottage nearby. We can get you cleaned up there and then I’ll bring you to the infirmary back at the palace.”

“Thor,” I protested, wiggling my legs. “It’s just a flesh wound. I can walk.”

“You might risk tearing the wound. It is the least I can do. Lie still, my lady. I have you.”

I wanted to demand that he let me walk, but the pain silenced me. I allowed myself to go loose and he carried me through the orchard, up the hill, and across to the cottage where the orchard workers would come to eat or gather supplies during the day. There was no one inside at the moment, so Thor brought me over to the cot. I peeled off the blood-soaked shirt, relieved that I at least had a camisole beneath it, and then rolled the camisole up over my arm, exposing the wound. I tried to stay calm as I listened to water rush into a bowl that Thor prepared.

“Are you in much pain, my lady?” he asked as he came up beside me, pulling a stool over.

I shook my head. “It’s manageable. We just need to make sure the arrowhead wasn’t poisoned and then stop the bleeding.”

Thor inhaled sharply, as if he hadn’t considered that yet. “Yes, you’re right. Please tell me if you feel strangely.”

I couldn’t help giving him a wry smile over my shoulder. “Well, I did just take my shirt off in front of the future king of Asgard.”

He managed a small smile in return. “Tis only fair, since you’ve seen me without a shirt on.”

I let out a small laugh and gripped the rumpled sheets on the cot, drawing breath since I knew this would not be pleasant. “Go ahead.”

The cold cloth brushed over the wound, agitating it. I hissed in pain. Thor apologized and waited for my breathing to slow before continuing. It hurt like hell, but it didn’t take long. He cleaned out the wound and held pressure over it until the bleeding stopped. After that, he applied a healing salve.

It was…troubling.

The wound still hurt, but Thor’s calloused fingertips were so gentle and careful. I couldn’t believe someone so mighty could have such a light touch. If I made a hurt sound, he held off and stroked up and down my spine in comfort, murmuring softly for me to take my time and tell him when he could continue. It was such a surreal thing, being catered to by the God of Thunder. With him this close, I could smell his skin, his hair, his cologne, a mixture of earth and spice and fresh rain. Perhaps it was ironic that a man who could command lightning with his bare hands made me feel as calm as winter skies in his presence.

He taped a fresh bandage over the cut and helped me pull the camisole down over it. “Thank you.”

“You were hurt in my stead,” he said solemnly. “Do not thank me. I…”

He struggled to finish the sentence. “I do not know what I would have done if it had taken your life, my lady.”

I faced him, hoping my smile wasn’t as sickly as it felt. “Then it’s a good thing that didn’t happen.”

He held my hand, squeezing my fingers. “I owe you my life.”

“No, you don’t,” I snorted. “That arrow wouldn’t have killed you—”

“But it could have killed you,” he said. “You still made a sacrifice for me. I am in your debt.”

I touched the side of his face. “I don’t want you to be in my debt, Thor. I am a handmaiden of Asgard. I serve the kingdom and I am just as willing to lay down my life to protect it as you are.”

“Aye, but it takes a particular kind of bravery to do what you did without the help of a magic hammer.” He angled his face to one side and kissed my palm. A blissful shiver rolled down my arm. His lips were just as soft as they looked, his beard a rough but pleasant sensation. I tried not to think about how lately I’d wondered just how those lips would feel on my skin.

Apparently, I wasn’t the only one.

Thor’s fathomless blue eyes held my gaze steadily, his breathing hitching for a moment before he kissed my wrist next. I didn’t move away. I couldn’t. I was just too curious, damn my soul.

“My lady,” Thor whispered. “I would like to properly thank you. Do I have your permission?”

I swallowed hard and slowly nodded. He inched closer, a hand on each of my knees, the space between us eventually vanishing. He tilted his head, his nose brushing mine, his warm breath on my chin. His plush lips brushed mine with the same tenderness as when he’d treated my wound, so achingly careful and considerate. He kissed me as if were something to cherish, something too precious to rush into all at once. Delirious pleasure flooded down my body and soothed the remaining aches. Thor’s kiss was a god’s kiss. Heaven incarnate.

The door to the cottage flew open.

Thor and I both jumped apart and glanced up to see a portly woman with empty baskets under one arm, her blonde hair pulled back. She nearly dropped them as she saw us, blinking rapidly. “Prince Thor?”

“Excuse us,” he said. “There was an incident in the orchard and she required medical attention.”

“Oh, dear,” she said, casting a worried look over me. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

_Yeah, walk back out of that door and give me another five minutes with Thor,_ I lamented to myself, but I just stood and shook my head. “No, we’ve gotten it under control. Thank you for letting us use the cottage. We’d better get back.”

We left, scooping up the alien prisoner along the way, and rode back to the palace in a peculiar, tension-filled silence, which was unfortunate because I couldn’t stop my panicked thoughts. I’d kissed him. I’d kissed Thor, the man whose wedding his father the king had asked me to arrange.

Nine hells, I was in trouble.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your relationships with the sons of Odin are beginning to change. Drastically.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: I did cheat a little bit, mind you. The throne room scene of Thor: The Dark World, aka Loki's sentencing, basically has happened in this story, but the rest is all AU. Just for clarification.

“I hear you had quite the adventure last week,” Loki said, watching me pour the hot water from the kettle into two mugs. “And that you are responsible for the capture of our most recent prisoner.”

“Whoever told you that exaggerated,” I said as I handed him the teacup and saucer. “Thor apprehended him. I didn’t do anything.”

Loki’s gaze strayed towards my injury. “The wound says otherwise. What did you do? Dive in front of the creature’s weapon?” 

He snickered. I tried not to blush, blowing on my tea and settling on the opposite side of his lounge chair. Loki’s eyes widened and the amusement slipped off his features.

“You didn’t, did you?” he asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. 

I sighed. “It wasn’t my proudest moment. I just…reacted.”

“Foolishly,” he seethed. “You reacted foolishly. Are you not aware of the sheer punishment my brute of a brother can endure? Believe me, I know firsthand, having wasted a blade on his flesh several times throughout the years. Why would you risk your life like that for the likes of him?”

“I told you, it was an unconscious instinct.” Then I frowned at him. “And Thor is not a brute. He patched me up himself. He didn’t have to do that.”

Something peculiar slid through Loki’s eyes then. He regarded me with a heavy, almost meaningful look, but I couldn’t decipher the emotion behind it. “Did he, now?”

“They tell me you’re the better healer of the two of you, but Thor did alright on his own.”

“I see.” He sipped his tea, staring at me over the rim. I squirmed and finally demanded, “What?”

“Do you not find it odd that the future king of Asgard personally saw to your wound?”

“Of course I did. I told him I would be fine enough to make it back to the palace, but he insisted.”

Loki smirked. “I’m sure he did. After all, you presented him with the opportunity to remove your shirt.”

I glared at him. “That is quite enough of that, Loki.”

He offered a gallant shrug. “I am merely making an observation, pet. You have spent a lot of time in his company lately.”

“I was given an assignment. Until it is complete, yes, I am with him more often. Is there something wrong with that?”

“Not at all. After all, he’s always favored you among the handmaidens. It will be unfortunate once he chooses a bride and that bond will dwindle.”

I stared into the swirling amber liquid in my cup. “It’s the way things should be.”

“Is it?” Loki asked. “Is that what you truly believe or is that what you will tell yourself so that you do not miss him?”

My fingers tightened around the teacup as a surge of anger and disbelief welled up. “You are being presumptuous. You don’t know my feelings.”

“How can I not?” Loki said with a roll of his eyes. “When you are so bloody obvious.”

“Obvious about what?” I snarled. 

“Oh, I shall not rob you of finding enlightenment for yourself, little dove. Instead, I will simply caution you. I know you have been inside these walls for long enough to know of Thor’s fancies. He may lavish you with sweet words and affection now, but his attention will wander, especially with the plethora of beautiful women parading around.”

I snorted. “Like any of them stand a chance.”

“I do not doubt that. Thor is not so easily swayed, but you forget that he has been charged by Odin.”

Loki’s face thinned out as anger filled it. “Odin does not play fair.”

Loki and I seldom agreed on anything, but I shivered under the truth of his words. He wasn’t wrong. There seemed to be no end to Odin’s cruelty. I’d been there during Loki’s sentencing. I’d heard him tell Loki with a kind of sickening joy that he would never see his mother again. I hoped to never be on the receiving end of Odin’s commands.

“No,” I murmured. “He doesn’t.”

“Always be aware, darling. The walls have eyes and ears that you cannot see. Trust no one.”

“Including you?”

Loki’s sea-green eyes gleamed. “Especially me.”

He nodded to me. “Thank you for the tea and the company, pet.”

My jaw dropped. He frowned. “What?”

I sputtered for a moment. “You…you just…said thank you. To me.”

“Oh, don’t go giving yourself a stroke,” he huffed, glancing away, his cheeks filling with faint color. “It means nothing. I am simply luring you into a false sense of security.”

I stifled a laugh as I stood and brushed my skirts clean. “Of course, your majesty.”

I started for the door, but he intercepted me. He brought his hand up to hover over my wound, his voice quiet. “May I?”

I tensed. “You told me not to trust you and yet you’re asking me to let you use magic on me.”

“Yes,” he said, smiling enigmatically. 

He didn’t elaborate. I debated internally, reflecting over what magics I had seen Frigga teach him and those she knew that he did not. Usually, it took some sort of artifact to alter someone’s perception or change their thoughts. Loki was a study in contrasts. He could be toying with me or he could be up to something far more nefarious. He knew I wanted to solve the puzzle he presented, though I knew I never would. 

I slowly relaxed my tight shoulders and nodded. “Go on.”

He settled his fingers lightly over the fabric of my dress, right below my arm. Warmth enveloped the area. The wound tingled and shifted, stinging, but then a deeper relief soaked into my skin. It soothed the uncomfortable itch. I nearly sighed; the constant chafing had been driving me crazy.

“I have accelerated the healing process,” he told me. “The wound should close completely by week’s end.”

“Thank you.”

“Mm,” he breathed, bringing his hand out from under my arm to cup my chin. “Do you know how you can truly thank me, pet?”

I couldn’t help but blush under his steady stare from so close. “Not sure I want to know.”

He chuckled. “Oh, the places your mind goes. How ever shall I keep up?”

Loki tilted my chin up and glanced at my bared throat. “You wear my colors well. What would I have to do to see you wear the necklace?”

Confusion crowded my mind. He hadn’t mentioned it in quite some time. I’d left it in my drawer in my quarters since the ball. “Why would you want me to wear it?”

“Answer my question and I’ll answer yours.”

“Fine. If we can get through one visit without you intentionally agitating me, I will wear it. Fair enough?”

“Fair enough,” he agreed. 

“Now why do you want me to wear it?”

A secretive smile slipped over his lips. “Perhaps I wish to be close to your heart.”

I snorted. “Yes, that way you can easily inflict the killing blow.”

He slid his slender fingers down to wrap around my neck. I gasped before I could help it. “L-Loki—”

“What makes you think I haven’t already?” he whispered.

He let go and stepped out of my path. “Until the next time, pet.”

I swallowed hard, nodding to him, my heart rabbiting in my chest as I left his cell. Somehow, he managed to confuse me more with every encounter, not less. I didn’t even know such a thing was possible. 

* * *

Some weeks later, we sent very carefully, politely worded rejection letters to the rest of the potential brides and it was time to craft personalized ones for the women Thor favored to some degree. He’d been quite busy as of late, which I didn’t mind considering how flustered I became each time I thought about that kiss. When he found time to see me again, we met by the riverfront to get some fresh air. I pretended it had nothing to do with the fact that he and I both seemed to inherently seek out privacy when the two of us were together.

“Milady,” Thor greeted me.

“Your highness,” I said in return, resisting with all my might to let a shy smile creep across my lips. 

“How is the wound?”

“It’s healed,” I told him. “Thank you.”

“Good. What does my lady ask of me this time?”

My heart clanged loudly against my ribs at his phrasing. My lady. He’d been calling me that forever and yet somehow the context and meaning behind it felt entirely different. “We need to write love letters inviting your favored candidates back for another appearance. This time, it would be dinner with you instead of a grand affair with the whole kingdom.”

“That is less tedious,” he agreed. “But more dangerous, I fear. Odin may think we are closing in on a potential bride.”

I nodded. “I know. We will go at a snail’s pace. Frigga has taken care of distracting your father so he doesn’t notice how long it takes us to compose the letters and send them. With any luck, the Avengers will need you again and you’ll be back to Midgard to help them. It could take months.”

“One can only hope. The only downside being that I would not see you for that length of time.”

I blushed. “Flatterer.”

He grinned. “Always. Shall we?”

He gestured for me to walk along the riverbank. He fell in step beside me, shortening his long gait so that we kept pace with one another. Our knuckles occasionally brushed one another from how close we were. I could have moved away to keep an appropriate distance, but I didn’t. 

“Where do we start?” I asked, my pen and parchment poised. “How do you woo a lady, son of Odin?”

He chuckled. “Women are complicated. Delightfully so. Perhaps we can answer that question by gaining insight from one. How do you prefer a gentleman to woo you?”

“I am hardly a good choice, given my lack of experience in such matters.”

“It’s not about experience. What is an ideal scenario for you?”

I arched an eyebrow. “Are you asking about my fantasy for the perfect man, Thor?”

He shrugged. “If that is the way you wish to phrase it.”

I bit my lip, considering the things that intrigued me about the opposite sex. “I...unconsciously seek out men who are good listeners, I suppose. I value conversation, first and foremost. We don’t need to agree on everything. We just need to have interesting dialogue. A good rapport. Our beliefs also don’t have to be the same, but having something in common helps.”

Thor nodded. “So we could open the letter speaking about her mind, then: Dearest lady, I find myself intrigued and fascinated by your intellect and your point of view.”

I scribbled. “Good.”

“And what else do you prefer in a gentleman?”

“I enjoy wit and charm. The latter has to be genuine, though. I’ve met many men who flirt just to flirt. It’s unflattering that way. I like the challenge of coming up with a response, of making him laugh or think differently about something.”

“So shall I say something clever or humorous?”

“That couldn’t hurt.”

“Mm. How about, 'I appreciate your willingness to endure our antiquated ceremony in order to meet me and I would love to see you again on more intimate terms’?”

“Intimate terms?” I echoed incredulously. “Thor, that sounds borderline inappropriate.”

He widened his eyes to look innocent. “Why, my lady, I am surprised at you. I meant it with the purest of intentions.”

“Yes, much like your suggestion for me to find you a woman with humongous breasts by which you could suffocate yourself.”

Thor laughed. “Right. I am past the point of being able to fool you, aren’t I?”

“Way past it, your highness. Why don’t we say ‘I would love to see you again, just the two of us, if you would have me’?”

“Perfect.”

I finished writing. “What would you like to do on these dates?”

“What do you suggest?”

“For the more adventurous ladies, maybe horseback riding. For the tamer ones, a picnic in the garden. They can still have an escort by the palace guards if they choose, but I doubt they would want the extra company. Besides, you’re quite harmless most of the time.”

“Most of the time?”

I gave him a sly look. “Well, we don’t want your wickedness making an appearance, as it does sometimes.”

“Perhaps they will want my wickedness,” he replied, smirking. “I have come to find some women enjoy such things.”

The smirk widened as he looked down at me. “Present company excluded, of course.”

“Oh? You think I don’t enjoy your wickedness? Interesting.”

Thor and I stopped beneath an old willow tree, its shade cool and pleasant, the leaves fragrant as the wind drifted by to ruffle the vines. It created an intimate enclosure, away from prying eyes. He leaned against the trunk and crossed his arms. An unspoken challenge settled over his handsome face. “Prove me wrong.”

I lowered my lashes over my eyes, one hand on my hip. “And exactly how should I do that?”

“You’re a clever lass,” he murmured. “I am certain you’ll think of something.”

We stared at each other, neither person budging for several seconds. I wasn’t great at reading people, especially men, but my instincts made me move closer to him. I couldn’t be certain what he wanted. I could only hope and pray I wasn’t about to make a fool of myself. 

The rational part of my brain chanted for me to have some common sense, but it was muted as I rested one hand on Thor’s stomach to balance myself. His arms unfolded and he settled his hands on my waist, curling his fingers in the fabric of my dress to tug me nearer to him. The inches between us disappeared one second at a time.

I kissed him, gently, cautiously. My eyes fluttered shut as the same golden pleasure drenched me from head to toe like sweet sage honey. Thor’s soft lips parted enough to let a growl of desire escape. He licked my lower lip. I arched into him, gasping, and he took advantage of it. His tongue swept inside my mouth and I opened mine wider, panting as the simple pleasure of it consumed me in a hot rush. Thor groaned as the kissing deepened and he pulled me forward, sliding his knee between my thighs. I moaned, startled by the intimate gesture, my core already tight with the growing tension and need for him. He rocked me down against his leg as he kissed me, swallowing my quiet cries, lightly nipping at my lips on occasion. 

He broke from my mouth enough to kiss my throat, driving another moan out of me as his beard scraped my sensitive skin. It was too much for him. His arms slipped around my waist and he lowered me into the bed of leaves under the tree. The pen and parchment fell to the wayside as I wrapped my arms around his neck, bringing him down to me as much as possible. Thor gripped a handful of my skirts and lifted them enough to free my legs, which fell open for him immediately. He settled over me, a deliciously heavy weight against my stomach, my hips, my chest. Thor’s solid heat made me restless. I pushed up into him only to find him already hard beneath his trousers. He met me halfway, thrusting into the space between my thighs, his pace only increasing the ache reverberating through my nerves.

“Thor,” I mumbled drunkenly. “We...mm...we shouldn’t.”

“I know,” he breathed into my collarbone. “And yet the very thought of having you all to myself…”

He lightly bit the curve of my left breast. “The things I would do to you if I could have you in my bed right now, my sweet lady. You have bewitched me. None of those women compare to you. Not one.”

Thor painted my throat with sweet kisses and whisker burns while I ran my hands down my back, finding the hem of his tunic at long last. I let my nails rasp over the scalding skin of his spine, listening to the feral noise that left him at my touch. He felt as if he’d been wrought out of steel by a blacksmith, his muscles so carved and hardened by fighting. I wanted him. I wanted him for myself. I was such a stupid, selfish woman. 

He ran his hand up my left knee, pushing my skirt higher, the callouses on his fingers dragging and causing goosebumps to pop along my naked skin. The silk bunched at my upper thigh and he caressed the lean muscle as he conquered my lips again. I clawed at his shirt, wanting him closer still, impossibly close, panting as the blossoming pleasure between my legs grew and grew with every movement of his pelvis. He shuddered as I looped my legs around his thighs and clung to him, a willing captive underneath his powerful form.

“I want you,” he whispered in my ear. “I want you naked and writhing in pleasure from my mouth, my hands, my cock. My beautiful lady. If only you could be mine.” 

He slipped his hand underneath my dress and boldly palmed my backside beneath my underwear, pinning me to the bulge in his pants. He jerked his hips hard in short bursts, pounding the throbbing knot at my center. I raked my fingernails down his back and cried out for him, unraveling all at once. I spilled into my climax, the sunlight and leaves and sky swirling across my eyes in a dizzy kaleidoscope of colors.

“Yes,” Thor groaned, squeezing my flesh as I floated down from the heavens. “That’s it, my lady. Come for me.”

He slid his hand around and I whimpered as his thick fingers glided over my wet sex. He drew them out from under my dress and tasted me on them, his pupils enormous and nearly swallowing the blue of his irises as he stared down at me, his maiden, his conquest. He licked me off his lips and smiled lasciviously. “Sweet lady indeed.”

“Thor,” I whined, too stunned from my orgasm to get any other words out at his proclamation.

“Hear me now.” He kissed my cheek, my brow, my temple. “I do not know how or when, but I will have you, my lady. This is only a taste of what awaits you. I will not stop until I have satisfied you completely.”

“But...Odin’s orders--”

“I do not care. You are the one I want. If you would have me.”

A stubborn sense of protective possession seized me. I gripped twin handfuls of his tunic and brought him to my lips again. The kiss was pure fire, hungry and needy and filled with the utmost longing. 

“Yes,” I whispered back. “Yes, I would have you, Thor.”

His smile was radiant. “So be it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those feeling the thirst...a rating change is on its way. Ehehehehehe...


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader deals with the aftermath of her encounter with Thor.

_ _

_"My quarters. Midnight. I’ll dismiss the guards.”_

Thor’s words had nearly melted me into a puddle. I knew it would be truly foolish to risk my position in the House of Odin for a rendezvous with Thor, but I no longer cared. I couldn’t resist him any longer. Hell, I hadn’t much resisted his flirtations in the past anyhow. It flattered me that he didn’t care about my lack of title or pedigree. I wasn’t disillusioned, though. I knew there would be no way that Odin would accept me as a viable option for his son, nor would Frigga. I decided to just enjoy it while it lasted, for I would never get such a wonderful chance again for the rest of my life serving the palace.

I continued through the remainder of my day in a blissfully happy trance, still high from his kiss and his touch well into the evening.

And that was when I received a nasty surprise.

I’d gone to the garden to continue drafting the letters under the starlight. Just as I turned the corner to head for my favorite tree, I heard voices. One male, one female. The female was giggling. I was about to leave to avoid intruding on them, but then I realized that I knew the male voice.

It was Thor.

Heart hammering in my throat, I peeked around the rose bush just to be sure. There he sat, shoulder to shoulder with one of the ladies of the courtship ball. Penelope. She was a tall woman and extremely buxom with soft grey eyes and dark hair that spilled down her back. Her laugh was sunny and made the area feel warmer somehow. Thor hung on her every word as they chatted, sharing a bottle of wine.

I stood there for several seconds in disbelief. Then, slowly, my stomach curled into a knot and my fingertips turned colder than ice. I couldn’t breathe. Was this a panic attack?

He’d lied to me.

There had been nothing on his agenda about Penelope. No one had said a word about her. Which could only mean he’d been hiding her from me, hoping I’d never know about her.

I finally snapped out of it as I felt the wetness on my cheeks. I’d been crying without realizing it. I dashed away from the garden, wiping my face clean so no one would notice, so sick inside that I didn’t pay attention to where my legs carried me until I reached the familiar golden glow of the dungeon.

“Excuse me,” I told the guards. “I know this is unusually late, but he requested me earlier.”

They glanced at each other warily, but nodded and let me into Loki’s cell. The God of Mischief was not asleep. It made sense; he’d been a night owl, as they say, for as long as I’d been in the palace.

“Lying to the guards just for a chance to see me,” Loki purred as he closed the book in his lap. “I’m flattered, pet.”

“You were right,” I blurted out.

“I’m always right,” he sniffed. “But about what in particular, darling?”

“T-Thor,” I whispered, clutching my arms so he wouldn’t see my fingers shaking. “You were right.”

Loki slowly rose from his lounge chair and strode over to me. I didn’t move. I just stared at the floor, willing myself not to cry again and hoping he couldn’t see how red my eyes had become. It was a fool’s errand; he immediately reached out, cupped my chin, and forced me to look up at him. His gaze swept over my face and I could almost feel him stripping me bare.

“What did he do?” he asked quietly.

I licked my lips. “There…there’s a girl here. Penelope. She wasn’t scheduled to visit. He was there with her in the garden with him just now, drinking wine.”

“Penelope,” he repeated. A spark of recognition went through his eyes. “Ah. She is a princess from Lobelia, is she not?”

“Yes.”

“Mm. That is quite unfortunate. I am sorry to be correct on this matter.”

I snorted. “No, you’re not.”

“I enjoy being right, but not at the cost of your happiness.”

I frowned up at him. “Since when?”

“I am not as frigid as you think I am,” he said dryly. “Clearly you believe that or you would not have come to cry upon my shoulder.”

“I’m not crying on your shoulder,” I mumbled hoarsely. “I’m just…I needed to talk to someone.”

“My mother has quite the assortment of handmaidens whom you have known for many years. You did not go to them. You came to me.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Do you have to be an ass about it?”

“Yes,” he said with a smirk. “It is my way.”

He lowered his hand enough to grip mine and led me to his lounge chair. “You wanted to talk, so talk.”

I collapsed more than sat on the chair, still feeling so ill that I thought my stomach would plop out of my body at any moment. So many things churned inside me. “I don’t know where to start.”

“Very well,” Loki said as he arranged himself next to me, his posture relaxed. “Begin with why you are upset. Had you not considered that Thor would not be available to you as your lover?”

“He’s not my—”

Loki held up his hand. “I know the look of a lady who has been well-kissed. You reek of it. Spare me the denial and tell the truth.”

I blushed furiously, wondering how he’d been able to tell. Perhaps I was easy to read. “It’s not that I thought this would work out. I…trust him. Trusted him. He has never given me a reason not to trust him. Why would he hide her from me?”

“I suspect he did not wish to upset you.”

“It upset me more being misled than if he were to simply tell me he was going to court her.”

“Is it possible you do not know him as well as you thought?”

I considered that. “I suppose it is, but…”

I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “Maybe it just hurt me deeper than I thought it would.”

“He betrayed your trust. There is nothing quite like that feeling of letting yourself be vulnerable and then being humiliated in return.”

Hurt welled up in my chest like boiling liquid, scalding my insides. “I’m not enough. I was arrogant to assume that I would be good enough for him.”

Tears slipped down my cheeks again. Damn it all. I was such a weakling to cry in front of him.

“Darling,” Loki said quietly. “No good will come of you comparing yourself to someone else. Ever. I have learned that the hard way.”

“How can I not? He said such sweet things to me. He made me believe them. He made me feel…I don’t know…like I was more than just some homely handmaiden.”

“You are not homely by any stretch of the imagination,” Loki chided me. “Do not say such things in my presence or I will feel compelled to offer a counterpoint.”

I blinked at him. “Meaning what exactly?”

Loki’s lashes lowered over his eyes, settling into a smoldering look. “I am certain you know by now that I would bed you in a heartbeat if you let me.”

I didn’t think I could blush any harder. I was wrong. “L-Loki.”

He chuckled. “You are so quaint, darling. Never lose that naivete.”

I crossed my arms. “I’m not naïve. I’m just…oblivious sometimes.”

“Most of the time,” he teased and I harrumphed.

“I was not toying with you when I said to trust no one. Thor tried to spare your feelings and only succeeded in hurting you more. You should learn from this. You cannot let someone make you feel that you are less than anyone else. You are who you are. You cannot change your station. You must accept that you and Thor are not meant to be together.”

He reached out, idly wiping away my tears. “You are better served finding another way to feel fulfilled than catering to my brother’s every need. You are not weak nor are you incompetent. Consider this to be a hard lesson that was necessary to learn. You will heal.”

“I’m not so sure about that.”

“It is true regardless of what you believe.” He glanced at the guards. “It is late. Good girls are not supposed to be consorting with wicked princes at this hour, so I must bid you adieu.”

I snorted as I stood. “Oh, perfect, you think I’m a good girl too. What is with you Odinsons?”

“By all means, darling, show me your wickedness,” he said with a grin. “I am eager to be proven wrong on this matter.”

I pursed my lips. “That sounds like a trap. The last time I proved my wickedness, it is how I came to be ‘well-kissed’ as you so kindly pointed out.”

“Is it now?” Loki stepped forward, lowering his voice into a rolling velvety sound. “I believe it is only fair that I receive the same treatment as Thor.”

I nearly sputtered at his audaciousness. “I am not going to kiss you, Loki. You are a fiend.”

“Yes, I am.” He gave me a slow, devilish smile. “A fiend that makes your heart race.”

“So does running up a flight of stairs. What’s your point?”

“Oh, come now, pet,” he cooed, slipping an arm around me to draw me closer. “Just one little innocent kiss. Will you not take pity on me, who listened so patiently to your problems and offered you sage advice in return?”

“No,” I said bluntly. “You have in no way earned my affections, Loki. There is no guarantee that you aren’t still trying to manipulate me. You have told me not to trust anyone, least of all you.”

“You do not have to trust me to kiss me.”

“If I kiss you, you’ll try to bed me.”

He arched an eyebrow. “I highly doubt your kisses are quite so potent, pet.”

I glared up at him. “Oh, is that so?”

“I have kissed princesses and queens and warriors and sirens. One kiss is not enough to make me—”

I grabbed the lapels of his tunic, yanked him to my height, and kissed him with every ounce of enthusiasm that I had Thor earlier this afternoon. Loki’s lips felt cool, but soft. He smelled of frost and earth and mint. He seemed so lithe and spindly, yet his chest and abdomen didn’t yield against my breasts, hinting at power and strength beneath his clothing. His hand clamped onto the small of my back and he exhaled a hot hiss of breath into my mouth as I drew away. When my eyes opened again, I found a predatory stare of pure hunger stamped all over his features.

He licked his lips, as if tasting me on them, and his voice came out rough. “Perhaps I misspoke.”

“Perhaps you did.” I let go of his tunic, batted my lashes, and smiled sweetly at him. “Good night, Loki.”

I left his cell without another word.

* * *

I slept poorly. It was to be expected. All night, I tossed and turned with thoughts of Thor’s sudden betrayal and Loki’s desirous eyes. The next day I rose and carried out my usual duties, telling myself to heed Loki’s words. I didn’t want to face the truth. I wanted the fantasy to last longer, but it hadn’t and I would have to make peace with it.

In the afternoon, I took some linens down to the washroom to prepare for the next day. To my dismay, I heard heavy footsteps and then the scent of fresh rain and morning dew hit me from behind. There were no other maidens around to hear him say, “I missed you last night.”

The audacity. I clenched my teeth and remained facing away from him, wringing out the sheets. “No, you didn’t.”

“My lady?” he asked in confusion. “Forgive me, have I offended you?”

“No,” I said, casting a cold look over my shoulder. “But I believe you offended Penelope.”

Thor stared at me. “Penelope?”

“Don’t play dumb,” I hissed. “I saw you with her in the garden last night.”

He frowned at me. “In the garden? Last night?”

“Yes. Don’t waste my time denying it.”

“I…” He shook his head. “My lady, you are certain it was last night?”

I laughed derisively. “Boy, you have some nerve, son of Odin. Fine. Play dumb. See if I care.”

I snatched up the sheets and turned to go, but he caught my arm. “No, my lady, I mean it. I have no recollection of seeing her last night. I thought I had retired to my room to wait for you.”

“Drank too much of your father’s private selection, I imagine?” I sneered.

“My lady,” he said, his tone urgent. “I do not remember meeting Penelope last night. Are you entirely certain that you saw me with her?”

I had no idea what the hell he was trying to pull. “Yes, Thor, I’m certain.”

“Oh, dear,” he breathed. “Something is wrong. The last thing I remember was…was…”

He rubbed his forehead and shut his eyes, concentrating. “My father called me to the throne room. Then everything just gets fuzzy from there.”

Finally, something other than anger peeked through my feelings. I stilled and peered up at his distraught expression. Thor was a lot of things, but he wasn’t a convincing liar. “Wait. You truly don’t remember being with her in the garden last night?”

“No. Not a bit of it.”

“Do you think perhaps she drugged the wine?”

“It is possible, I suppose, but my memories stop at the throne room. I do not recall that we toasted there.”

“Something’s not right. Remember when I asked you about her before? You said you didn’t know how you felt. How much of the dance with her do you recall?”

Again, he looked troubled and worried. “I…not much, my lady.”

I set my sopping sheets aside and paced, thinking. “She said she was from Lobelia. She’s supposed to be a princess, but…what if she forged her papers? What if someone else intercepted the letter and she is not who she says she is? This sounds…familiar.”

“Yes,” he said, straightening all of a sudden. “Do you remember Prince Kal?”

“I do.”

“He lost his fortune to a woman by signing over his inheritance in its entirety to her, and yet he seems to have no recollection of the event itself. All he said was she was tall, voluptuous, and beautiful.”

My eyes widened. “She might be a Pheromonster.”

Thor blinked at me. “A what?”

“They’re a species who emit pheromones that make you fall in love with them, almost like sirens. It lets them control you but you can’t remember anything afterward. It’s undetectable. That’s how they move from victim to victim, stealing their riches. This time, though, she’s after the throne. She must have sought an audience with Odin and worked her magic to get that little moonlight rendezvous with you.”

“But how can we prove that?”

I bit my bottom lip. “We’ll have to think of something clever.”

Then I straightened up. “Or find someone clever enough to help.”

Thor groaned. “Oh, please do not say who I think you will say.”

“Sorry, your highness,” I said, patting his arm sympathetically. “Looks like we’re heading to the dungeon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goddammit, Loki. Now I have to update the tags again.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader and Thor seek Loki's advice on how to stop Penelope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RATING CHANGE EHEHEHEHEHEHE.

“Oh, dear,” Loki said, his blue-green eyes narrowed to slits and aimed behind me. “You seem to have an ogre following you, my little dove.”

I fought down a sigh. This interaction was going to go great. I could already tell. “Hello, Loki.”

Thor settled next to me after politely dismissing the guards and then raised an eyebrow in my direction. “Dove?”

I shook my head. “Don’t ask.”

He faced his brother with a matching stony expression tinged with distrust and bitterness. “Loki. You are well, I take it?”

“As well as a caged animal can be,” he spat. “Isn’t that what you consider me to be, brother?” He snorted. “Oh, excuse me, I forgot myself. Your eminence. I heard of Odin’s declaration for you to be king sooner rather than later. I hope it only means he is due to expire any day now.”

Thor marched forward, but I touched his arm. “Both of you stop it.”

“Why did you bring him here?” Loki demanded. “To mock me?”

“No,” I said with the utmost strained patience. “We have encountered something unusual and seek your advice.”

“What in the nine hells makes you think I would offer any advice to the bastard that put me in here?”

I forced the words out. “Because I am willing to offer a favor in return for your help, if you provide it.”

Loki gave me a shrewd glance then. “Is that right?”

“Within reason,” I clarified. “But yes. I will owe you a favor if you help us.”

“Are you certain you wish to do this?” Thor asked. “Loki’s prices are steep.”

“I want to get to the bottom of this matter. I think it’s worth it.”

Thor sighed. “As you wish, my lady.”

Loki paced the length of the wall before us. He stopped after a few minutes and nodded. “Very well.”

“Good. We think that the woman Thor was with last night, Penelope, is a Pheromonster. However, we can’t exactly prove it if every time she enters a room, her pheromones erase everyone’s memories and make them slaves to her will. We need a way to prove what she is so she can be apprehended.”

“Why do you care to stop her if you have discovered what she is?” Loki asked. “You can simply deny her access to the oaf.”

“That is not enough,” Thor said. “She will simply carry on abusing other people and stealing from them as well. We seek to bring her to justice.”

“How noble of you,” Loki drawled as sarcastically as possible. “The Nine Realms thanks you, Odinson.”

Thor rolled his eyes. “Do you have an idea on how to stop her or not, Loki?”

The God of Mischief resumed his pacing. “The popular theory is that they are shapeshifters, but there is another theory that they are also illusionists. The Prism Mirror in Odin’s vault has the power to see through anything. If you manipulate her into appearing before it, then you would be able to see her true form.”

“Does anyone know what they look like in their true forms?” I asked.

Loki shook his head. “Some say they are serpentine. Others say they are incorporeal.”

Thor crossed his arms. “And just how do you know this information?”

Loki gave him a thin smile. “I am a Trickster God. I like to know my competition thoroughly.”

“If we’re able to reveal her for what she is, then how do we apprehend her? Won’t she be able to control us?”

“I have an enchantment that should prevent her from bespelling you.” His smile widened. “It is woven into the necklace I gave you.”

My jaw dropped. No wonder I hadn’t felt the effects of her pheromones. But he couldn’t have known ahead of time that we’d encounter such a creature. What the hell was he up to? “Why did you enchant the necklace with magic?”

“The House of Odin has many enemies. I figured you would need it in case of a saboteur during the oaf’s courtship process.”

“So that’s why you’ve been trying to get me to wear it.”

Loki smirked. “Among other reasons.”

“Such as?”

He shrugged. “Perhaps I simply want something of mine resting so near those perfect breasts of yours.”

“Loki,” Thor growled. “Mind your tongue.”

“I’d rather she minded it for me. She’s rather good at it, wouldn’t you agree, Thor?”

Thor stiffened. I fought down a groan of frustration. I’d known Loki would say something. I shouldn’t have let him goad me into that damned kiss.

I sighed. “He dared me to kiss him, if that helps.”

Thor worked his jaw for a second and then exhaled through his nose. “It is none of my business. You are free to do as you please with whomever you please, my lady.”

Loki laughed. “Leave the lies to me, Odinson. You are still terrible at them.”

“Right, then I’ll have to incapacitate her and hopefully that’ll stop the pheromones. If we get her in custody, we can prove she’s producing them in order to manipulate everyone and that’ll be the end of it.” I eyed Loki. “I don’t suppose you want to tell me what I owe you for this now?”

“All in good time, pet,” Loki said with a vulpine smile. “Be careful. She will not be easily conquered, I suspect.”

“Good. Neither will I.”

“Best of luck, darling.” Loki aimed a sour glare at his brother. “I hope she guts you like a fish.”

“Always a pleasure, Loki,” Thor said, rolling his eyes again before we left. We headed away from the cell block and up towards the rest of the palace. It was evening, so the hallways were empty since most of its occupants were at dinner or completing nightly chores.

“We’ll have to find out if the two of you set another date while you were under her spell,” I said. “And maybe you can convince her to take a tour of the palace and that’s how we get her in front of the Prism Mirror in the vault. Though I imagine Odin will be quite disappointed once we—”

Thor’s steely fingers closed around my wrist and he pulled me into an alcove of the hallway, behind a few columns. I let out a small yip of surprise, about to ask him what was the matter, but then he pushed me up against the wall and pinned me between his arms. He stooped until our faces were level with each other, the firelight from torches causing those blue eyes to glint with danger. The intensity of that stare had me shivering in seconds.

“T-Thor?” I whispered.

“I meant what I said before,” he breathed. “I have no right to stop you if you pursue other men, even Loki.”

A dangerous smirk slid across his lips. “But that does not mean I will not retaliate.”

“Retaliate?”

“Lift up your skirt.”

I blushed so hard that I became dizzy. “T-Thor, we’re—someone could—please—”

“Lift your skirt for me. I’ll not tell you again.”

Oh, my.

A silvery thread of utter, decadent pleasure slid down my spine and then pooled at my center. Never in my life had a man ordered me to do anything erotic. Somehow, I felt deliriously excited by it. I knew he wasn’t about to force me into anything. Thor would never do such a vile thing. Instead, he’d been able to read me well enough to know that pleasurable punishment would be something I’d enjoy, even under protest.

With trembling fingers, I gathered up my skirt. Thor didn’t even bother looking down, his gaze pinning mine. Cool air brushed my legs. I ceased once the hem hung just over my inner thighs. Thor slowly reached down between them and cupped my sex through the panties, leaning down just enough to kiss me silent as quiet moan crawled from between my lips. He held the kiss for a long moment and then sighed wistfully, uttering two devastating words.

“Good girl.”

What a mistake I’d made this night.

My knees weakened as he stroked me, running his thumb along my slit, tracing over it until wetness soaked through. I locked my arms around his neck to keep from tumbling to the floor in a heap, gasping into his mouth as he kissed me ravenously and continued teasing me over and over.

He broke from my lips and kissed my neck, his voice throaty with desire. “Look how wet you are for me. How excited you are that we may be discovered at any moment. You must not let them hear you, my lady. You must not let them hear you crying out for me so wantonly. I can feel how much you want me, right here.”

I whimpered as he circled my clit with the pad of his thumb. “I want to sink into this heat. Feel you all around me, hot and wet and ripe for taking, my lady. Fill you again and again until you are mad with need for me.”

He nipped the column of my throat. “And so does Loki.”

I whined in protest. “Thor—”

“I know him too well,” Thor murmured. “He wants you for himself. But he cannot have you, for you are mine. And I will show you that you are mine.”

He slipped two fingers into me.

I shoved my face into his warm neck to muffle a scream.

Lightning bolts of ecstasy shocked me to my very core. I couldn’t help biting down over his flesh to keep from screaming a second time as his thick digits penetrated my silken walls. Thor growled as he felt my teeth on his skin and pulled his fingers nearly free. He pushed them in again, my dress draping over his wrist since I’d let go of the hem, and yet somehow it just made me even hotter, knowing what was going on underneath my dress right now. He moved with a surety to it that made me restless, pushing down against his arm, struggling to stay on my feet as he brought me to the precipice.

Thor angled his lips near my ear. “Are you going to come, my lady?”

I shook my head wordlessly. “Well, that will simply not do.”

Thor plucked his fingers free and knelt in front of me.

Bloody hell.

He bunched up my dress in one hand and then flicked a mischievous grin up at me. “Put your hands over your mouth, my lady.”

I obeyed without question. Thor peeled my panties off and then propped my left leg onto his shoulder. He gave me an appraising look and a long, wistful sigh. “What a lovely cunt you have, my lady.”

I didn’t have the nerve to watch as he leaned in towards me, his breath warm on my inner thighs, his beard scratching the delicate skin as he moved closer. Then he parted those soft lips and licked me. So, so, so slowly.

I screamed into my palm, my eyes rolling back in my head as sweet, sweet nirvana flooded up my skin in a shivering wave. The rough texture of his tongue against my petals was exquisite. The heat of his mouth as he let it drag upward to my clit set me aflame. He took my spot between his lips and toyed with it, lapping hard at it with his tongue and then gently to bring me down before I sailed off into an orgasm. The faint, wet sucking had me convulsing in both embarrassment and arousal. I couldn’t help burying one hand into his golden hair, pulling him closer towards the apex of my thighs, wanting more, needing more.

And he obliged me.

Thor’s tongue searched and then delved inside me. I screamed anew, my nails scraping his scalp, fisting his hair in a desperate attempt to ground myself. I heard him groan “yes” in excitement and then he plunged the talented muscle into my soaking depths, fucking me with his mouth as if he owned me. My back rubbed against the wall behind me as I rode his face, squeezing his shoulder with the leg he’d propped up, moaning uncontrollably. Thor’s free hand cupped my thigh as he feasted on me as if I were a meal fit for a king, stroking my skin over and over as if cajoling me to give in. I didn’t want to. I’d never felt this good in my entire life. I wanted more, so much more.

He slid his mouth away for precious seconds, kissing my inner thigh, rubbing whisker burns into it to mark where he’d been. He bit over my femoral artery, eliciting a shriek from me, sliding his hand higher to cup my backside. “To whom do you belong?”

“You,” I gasped from between my damp fingers. “You, only you, Thor.”

“Mm, that’s right,” he sighed, licking the nectar still spilling out of me. “You’re all mine. Now be a good girl and come for me.”

He pressed into me, harder, faster, squeezing half of my backside. I rolled my hips once, twice, thrice, and then the climax claimed me. I collapsed against the wall as the dam inside me broke. I came on Thor’s tongue, his lips, his hungry mouth, the pleasure so sharp and intense that my legs finally gave out. Thor scooped me up before I could fall, tossing my other leg over his shoulder so that I was merely propped against it with my upper back. He brought me down from the heavens with light, affectionate touches, caressing me into the afterglow. Eventually, my breathing evened out and the strength returned to my limbs. Thor set me on my feet again and wiped his lips and chin clean on his cloak as he stood.

“I told you,” he whispered with a playful grin. “That I would satisfy you. I am sorry that it appeared as if I abandoned you. You have gone out of your way twice now to save me. I think perhaps it is time to repay you for that kindness.”

I nodded shakily. “Tonight, midnight?”

“Forget midnight,” he said, grasping my hand in his. “Now or never, my lady. Do you trust me?”

_Trust no one._

I closed my fingers around Thor’s. “Yes. I do.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor and Reader go to the mat, and then later catch themselves a monster.

The first order of business for a night of passion with the future king of Asgard was getting rid of the guards.

And it was surprisingly easy.

Thor tucked me away in a corner of the hallway to his bedroom suite and approached. I listened in as he greeted them pleasantly and made a bit of small talk. I’d met many royalty who considered the guards beneath them, but Thor never did. He spoke to everyone unless they’d insulted him or someone he cared about.

“Why don’t you take an evening off, hmm? You’ve more than earned it. I’ll vouch for you, should anyone ask.”

The guards were surprised, but pleased. They eagerly took their leave, chatting about grabbing some mead before heading home, and didn’t notice me from my hiding spot. I checked the hallway again before slipping around the corner to meet Thor. He winked and caught my hand before he pulled the enormous golden doors open to reveal his bedroom.

As a handmaiden, our quarters in the palace were quite nice. We had sufficient space and plenty of options for decorations and adornments.

Thor’s bedroom was about five times larger than my quarters.

Its layout was simple: three steps leading from the small foyer to an enormous bed with a canopy to the left, a living area with comfortable lounge chairs and tables to the right with a formal painting of the royal family on the wall above it, a balcony just beyond said living area, a bathing area past that, and then an entire wall of nothing but books and various collectible items Thor had found in his travels. Warm colors had been woven into everything: reds, oranges, yellows, all tied with the gold theme of the palace. It had high walls and the ceiling boasted lovely stained glass with some of Thor’s mightiest past battles. Most recently, I could see the battle of the Midgardian city, New York, they called it.

“This is lovely,” I said in awe as I took it all in one section at a time.

“Thank you,” he said sincerely, closing and bolting the door shut. “Would you care for something to drink?”

I shook my head. “I am fine, thank you.”

He led me to the foot of the bed and held both my hands, staring down at me with that same warm smile as he always had. “You are nervous.”

“Yes,” I said, swallowing to wet my dry throat.

“It’s alright,” he murmured. “I’m a little nervous too. I wish to be good to you. As good to you as you have been to me.”

Thor cupped my cheek. “And so you must promise me that you will tell me everything. What you like. What you do not like. Hide nothing from me, for I will hide nothing from you. Are we agreed?”

I nodded. “Yes, your majesty.”

Thor shook his head. “I am not royalty here. Just a man. Do with me as you wish, my lady.”

I tried not to let him hear the tremble in my voice as I whispered, “I’d very much like that.”

I bit my lip, watching his expression for any signs of dissent, and reached up towards the clasp in his cloak. I undid it and the heavy cloth pooled around his feet. I rested my hands on his broad shoulders for a moment and then undid the front of his tunic. It drifted open to reveal the smooth expanse of his chest, so wide and sculpted. His breathing picked up as I flattened my palms over his pectorals, letting his heat seep into me. I was breathing hard by now, fascinated as I traced the curvature of his upper body lightly with my fingertips.

“My lady,” he said roughly.

I pushed the tunic from his shoulders, leaving him naked from the waist up. Something unbearably hot coiled in my belly, my loins, something I hadn’t felt in quite a while. I ran my palms down over his abdomen, feeling the poise and strength in his stomach, the carved runnels therein, the way his silken skin flexed each time he breathed.

Gods, he was beautiful.

I lifted onto my toes and kissed the spot under his jaw. He inhaled sharply, his big hands flexing open and closed. “My lady, please. May I touch you?”

“Yes,” I hummed dreamily, nuzzling his neck and molding myself into his chest. “Please touch me, Thor.”

Immediately, Thor bent and kissed the side of my throat, his hands catching my waist and sliding up towards the knot that tied my dress together at my nape. He unlaced it carefully and the dress slid apart, exposing the long line of my back. Thor tugged the sleeves from my arms and the dress crumpled in half at my hips, exposing the cream silk camisole beneath it. He pushed it the rest of the way off of me and I was left in just the camisole and panties. Cool air from the massive room made my bare skin flush with goosebumps. Thor’s lips sealed to mine as his arms twined around me, crushing me to his chest, the kisses deepening. His tongue lashed my mouth open and he crawled inside it with vigor, his hands kneading the small of my back. I felt the blunt edge of his erection pressing into my thighs and whined in my throat, which he understood.

Thor scooped me up and wrapped my legs around him, carrying me towards the bed. The sheets were amazingly soft under my back as he laid me upon it and took off my shoes as well, never breaking from my lips. He kicked off his boots and wriggled out of his trousers, revealing dark undergarments beneath them. He aligned our bodies and lowered his weight onto me, grinding his hard, clothed cock into my center enough to drive a moan from me.

“Thor,” I gasped out, unsure of what I even meant, but somehow, he understood. He pushed my arms above my head and pulled off the camisole. I cried out as his lips took my right nipple into his mouth, his searing tongue swirling over the hardened bud in a never-ending cycle. I squirmed and rocked up into his pelvis, seeking as much friction against my aching body as possible. He hissed as he felt me wiggling up into him and pressed one hand to my belly, keeping me pinned to the bed.

“Be a good girl,” he whispered. “Be patient. I will satisfy you.”

He drifted to my left breast and lavished it with attention as well, eventually leaving a kiss mark over my heart, and then he traveled down the center of my chest to my stomach. His beard left a trail of flushed skin behind as his whiskers dragged pleasantly down my body to my thighs. After peeling off my previously ruined panties, he shoved them further apart and latched his mouth onto my clit, slipping two thick fingers into me. I bucked into his mouth with another anguished sob of need, burying my hands in his long, golden locks. He hadn’t any patience left and fucked me with his fingers quickly, the wet sucking of his mouth on my cunt filling the air along with my frantic moans.

“Thor…yes…please…oh, Thor—” I careened over the edge into my orgasm, my spine bowing, tears gathering as the sweetness of the pleasure seized me from head to toe. My vision bled to white and I floated off on a warm cloud for several minutes. Thor woke me by playfully biting my inner thighs, which made me giggle and try to shimmy away from him on the bed. He chuckled as he undid the knot holding his hair back and pulled off his pants.

Oh, my.

Thor had yet another mighty hammer.

I was too stunned to defend myself when he pounced, catching my wrists and lightly restraining me as his heavy, glorious body settled into place above me. He kissed me, slow and deep, his voice weathered from how aroused he’d become by now. “May I have you, my beautiful lady?”

“Yes,” I answered, my heart pounding like the ceremonial drums at a summer festival. “Yes, Thor.”

Our eyes locked as he slid his cock into me for the first time.

Paradise.

Thor was paradise.

My cunt gave way immediately as he pushed in, so slick from the foreplay that it felt like perfect poetry. He parted my inner walls in a confident stroke, not stopping until he’d reached as far as he could, sinking in nearly to the root. Lancing hot pleasure crackled through my veins and across my overheated skin. I didn’t even try to hold back; I moaned his name as he stretched me to fit him, so tantalizingly big. I’d never felt anything like it in my life.

Thor shuddered and pressed our sweaty foreheads together, his breath like fire on my neck and shoulders. “Are you alright, my lady?”

“Yes.”

Something of an eager, mischievous smile overtook his soft lips. “Good.”

I wished I could say that we made tender, sweet love to each other.

That isn’t what we did.

Thor anchored himself above me and fucked me into the bed like a madman.

And I loved every single second of it.

I locked my legs around his waist and held on for dear life, unable to stop the keening noises that escaped as he pummeled me into submission. I drowned in pleasure underneath him. I stole hungry, sloppy kisses in between every succulent thrust, irrationally prideful as I heard him growl my name back to me. He dragged my arms together and crossed them, holding them down, his other hand diving between our pelvises. He swiped at my clit with the flat of his thumb, his voice ragged in my ears. “Come for me, my lady. Give me everything.”

I couldn’t resist him any longer. I let the pounding rhythm of his hips, his rough kisses, his careful touch, unravel me. Thor purred as he felt my inner walls flicker and tighten over his length, urging him to join me. He shortened his thrusts, burying himself deeper, eating my frantic moans as I felt his cock tunneling so deep it made my toes curl, and came inside me at long last. Even then he didn’t stop, exhaling hotly against my swollen lips, lazily stroking my clit as he pumped his slowly softening cock into me until I’d extracted every last drop of his come. We both collapsed in a heap on the damp sheets, too dazed to say anything or even move a muscle for several minutes.

Thor rolled onto his back and tugged me with him, dragging the sheets up to cocoon us as we cooled off. He kissed my forehead and rubbed my back with one large hand, over and over, so soothing that I began to drift off in no time flat. “Rest well, my lady.”

I smiled before I fell asleep. “Rest well, my Thor.”

* * *

Thor woke me not long before sunrise. We bathed together and I slipped out of his room before the guards could return and anyone could spot me leaving. Today had another big event—the arrival of the traitorous Penelope, whom we hoped to expose and detain. She had requested another date with Thor for the evening and we allowed it, pretending not to know better. I slipped on Loki’s necklace that morning before grabbing my sword and later heading into Odin’s vault. I hid in a dark, secluded spot until I heard footsteps coming down the staircase. Thor and Penelope laughed and talked on their way down, and I finally recognized the glossed over hazy look in his eyes, as if he were slightly drunken. It wouldn’t have been detectable to anyone unless they knew him particularly well. He was a sharp, observant man and her pheromones must have dulled all his senses.

“What a treasure trove,” the voluptuous alien simpered, her brown eyes alight with greed and interest as she stared at the Casket Loki had once wielded. “Your father must be quite proud.”

“Aye, it is one of the most coveted items in the vault,” Thor agreed. “Let me show you another.”

He guided her down the path and I slipped out of my hiding spot, light on my feet, as quietly as possible. “It’s called the Prism mirror. It shows things for what they truly are.”

Penelope stiffened. I darted forward enough to see into the mirror.

Rather than a beautiful brunette, I found a spindly, hunched hag with no hair and sharp fangs, her eyes milky white with no pupils, a sneer on her thin lips. Loki had been right.

She whirled as she spotted me in the reflection as well, snarling, “Who are you? What are you doing here?”

“My name is of no consequence,” I said coldly. “You have bespelled the future king of Asgard. That is an act punishable by detainment. Surrender now or die at his feet.”

I hefted the sword for emphasis. Penelope’s eyes darted towards the stairs and she licked her lips, clearly running calculations in her head. “You know he is under my control. I can have him snap your neck in a heartbeat.”

I gave her a thin smile. “I’ll slice your throat open before the words finish leaving your mouth, witch.”

She hissed, so I cocked my arm to swing, but then she cringed away from me. “No! I surrender! I surrender!”

I narrowed my eyes at her. “Then prove it. Undo what you’ve done to Thor.”

Penelope sneered again, but lifted one hand, her palm facing him. The docile, serene expression on Thor’s face faded into his normal attentive look. He shook his head slightly and groaned as if he had an ache in it, blinking rapidly at us. He stepped away from her and rolled his shoulders, adopting a defensive stance just in case. “I take it that it worked?”

“Yes, your highness,” I confirmed.

“Well done, my lady,” he said proudly. “Now how do you propose we get this sneaky little predator into the cell block without her using her pheromones on everyone to stop us before we get there?”

“I have a hunch.” I slipped out a pair of cuffs that were clipped to the belt on my trousers and tossed them to Penelope. “Put those on.”

She begrudgingly obeyed. Then I stepped behind her and clamped a hand on her forearm, keeping my sword below her throat. She convulsed and made a pained noise. “Loki’s necklace disrupts magic. I think it’s neutralized her. She’ll need to be in solitary confinement and I’ll need to ask him to fashion one of those for her as well.”

I nudged her forward. “Move it.”

We marched her into the cell block and found one of the smaller cells, locking her inside. Thor left to inform Odin and Frigga of her capture while I stopped at Loki’s cell.

And as I did, I knew something was off.

Loki sat in his lounge chair, a book in his lap, not glancing up even though I knew full well that he could see me in his peripheral. I frowned, confused, and cleared my throat. “Loki?”

“What?” he said in reply.

I frowned harder, but kept going. “Your plan worked. We apprehended the Pheromonster. Is it possible for you to make another necklace like this one that can prevent her from using her pheromones?”

“It is possible, but I have no desire to do such a thing,” he said boredly, still not looking up. “Ask my mother. I am certain she can conjure magic in a similar fashion.”

“Right.” I fidgeted, still confused by his strange behavior. “Well, thank you for helping us catch her.”

He didn’t answer. I bit my lip, glancing at the guards, and lowered my voice a bit. “Loki, is something wrong?”

He finally snapped the book shut and glared at me. “Yes, there is. You are still here.”

I froze. “Excuse me?”

“Are you deaf as well as stupid, little maiden?” he snapped as he rose to his feet. “I have another four thousand years of a sentence to serve and I do not intend to spend it listening to you prattle on.”

My jaw dropped. “What in the nine hells is the matter with you?”

“You,” he spat. “You are what is the matter with me. And that is about to end right now. Leave and do not ever return.”

I couldn’t breathe. The utter spite in his words left me cold and shaking. I hadn’t seen it since the first time I’d brought him the books, before he had any interest in me whatsoever. What had happened to him? Had I done something to anger him?

Then it hit me.

The stone in the necklace was magic. Loki could probably see and hear through it, and shortly before our plan to apprehend Penelope, Thor and I had stolen away to kiss and whisper about the next time we would enjoy each other’s nightly company.

Loki, Prince of Asgard, was _jealous_.

“You…” My hands shook with anger. I could barely get words past my clenched teeth. “You pathetic fool. How dare you stand there and insult me when I am one of the only people on this entire planet who does not actively despise you.”

The guards advanced on me then, noting how agitated I’d become and that I’d outright insulted him. “Milady, back away from the cell.”

“People?” Loki sneered. “Oh, you are not a person. You are a pet. A sad little creature sitting atop my brother’s lap to be petted so you will roll over and mewl for him whenever he wants it. If you think for a single second that I need you, then let me clear that up right now. I want nothing from you. If you truly wish to pay back your favor to me, then _get out of my sight.”_

I stepped even closer to the enclosure, my voice tight. “You deserve to be in here, Loki. You’re the animal here, not me. Chew on that for the next four thousand years, you sad bastard.”

With that, I turned on my heel and marched out of the cell block. I didn’t stop until I stood on the Rainbow Bridge, staring down at the roaring waters below. I snatched the necklace off and cocked my arm to throw into the cold depths.

My arm wouldn’t move.

I stood there for a while, the wind howling around me, kicking my hair up into my tear-stained eyes.

“Bastard,” I whispered hoarsely, swallowing past the lump in my throat. “Ungrateful bastard.”

I lowered my arm and squeezed my fingers around the emerald at the necklace’s center, scalding tears dripping down my cheeks. I cried for a while, not really knowing why, until the vast sadness dried up. I wiped my face and tucked the necklace into my pocket, returning to the palace. I dropped it into a small velvet bag and tucked it away in the back of my closet.

Then I left to go see the son of Odin who still cared about me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Scorpion and the Frog
> 
> A scorpion and a frog meet on the bank of a stream and the  
scorpion asks the frog to carry him across on its back. The  
frog asks, "How do I know you won't sting me?" The scorpion  
says, "Because if I do, I will die too."
> 
> The frog is satisfied, and they set out, but in midstream,  
the scorpion stings the frog. The frog feels the onset of  
paralysis and starts to sink, knowing they both will drown,  
but has just enough time to gasp, "Why?" 
> 
> Replies the scorpion: "It's my nature..."


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chaos reigns in the palace of Asgard.

“Forgive me, your highness,” I told Frigga, my head bowed. “But I’m afraid Loki no longer wishes for me to drop off your books to him. He has requested another handmaiden.”

“Oh dear,” Frigga said, her brow furrowing. “Whatever is the matter, dear? You are perfectly lovely and intelligent. What problem could he have with you?”

I fought not to wince. “Nothing, my lady. He’s just gotten bored, I suppose.”

She folded her hands in front of her and eyed me with that calm, motherly look. I knew it well. She looked at Thor like this sometimes when he told her half-truths. “I see. Is there something that you wish to discuss, dear?”

“No, my lady.”

Frigga paused and then gestured to Sonya. “Sonya, darling, would you please nip down and take these books to Loki in her stead?”

The brunette curtsied. “Yes, my lady.” She collected them from me and then exited. Once we were alone, Frigga sighed.

“I am sure by now you have worked out that I sent you to Loki for a reason.”

I licked my lips and measured my response, unsure of where this conversation would lead. “Yes, my lady.”

She rubbed at her forehead. “I apologize if I put you in an uncomfortable situation. You are your own person. I had no right playing matchmaker. I thought simply that it would be good for Loki to have companionship. I know all my maidens well and your temperament seemed best to get him to speak to someone aside from me. I know that Odin will be displeased if he sees me speak with my son, so I had hoped that you would grant him some form of…”

Frigga shook her head. “I do not know. Peace? Comfort? If nothing else, conversation and knowledge of events that occur while he is imprisoned. I hoped he would not let his worse nature loose as he has in the past, but it seems Loki is intent on staying the same as he’s always been.”

She faced me and held my hands. “I am sorry if he mistreated you. I am sorry that I assigned this task to you without considering your feelings.”

“Thank you, my lady,” I said. “But it’s alright. He didn’t hurt me.”

Her blue eyes softened. She touched my cheek very gently. “Of course he didn’t. You’re a strong girl.”

Frigga bent and kissed my forehead. “I assure you that you will never have to see him again if that is what you wish. Let us go, dear, we’ve much to do about this alien who tried to ensnare my son. I shall have to conjure powerful magic to fashion a collar so she cannot use her magic to talk the guards into letting her leave. First, though, we must report your findings to the king.”

We headed towards the war room and by the time we made it to the hallway, we could hear quite the argument raging between Odin and Thor. Frigga hastened her steps, as did I, and we turned the corner to see them both red-faced and furious with one another.

“—ridiculous, dangerous stunt!” Thor finished, slamming a fist down on the map of the Nine Realms. “You had no right to do that!”

“I am the King of Asgard, boy,” Odin spat. “I have a right to do anything that I wish that is in the interest of protecting this world and protecting this family.”

“What is going on?” Frigga asked, her tone stern, frowning at them. “We have come to report on the treacherous woman who sought to bespell Thor into marrying her to steal his fortune.”

“Oh,” Thor said with a bitter laugh. “He already knows, mother.”

Frigga cocked her head slightly at her husband. “How?”

“Because he is the one who called for her.”

Frigga and I both froze. She narrowed her eyes and took a deep, slow breath. “Pardon me?”

Odin waved a hand dismissively. “I tire of this charade you continue to bring before me, stalling to keep Thor unwed. I sent out for someone who would be a good match for the boy, nothing more.”

“She is not a person!” Frigga snapped. “She is a monster who robs men of their free will and steals their fortune. You mean to tell me you invited that creature into our home to ensnare Thor?”

“She is not a creature,” Odin said blithely. “She is just as much a person as you or I. We had an agreement that she would not steal and she would not control him. She would become queen and produce his heir and she would have everything she desired for the rest of her days. She was only to use her pheromones to make it past the vetting process, nothing more. She is the one who chose to use her magic and therefore the consequences of her actions are fair.”

“And none of that seemed immoral to you?” Thor demanded. “Allowing her to manipulate me into feeling things that were not real?”

Odin rolled his eye, his voice tired. “Boy, your feelings are nothing but chemicals in your brain. The things you felt for your Midgardian woman Jane were no more real than what you felt for the siren—”

Thor slammed Mjolnir through the table and it cracked into several pieces, crumbling onto the floor. A damning silence fell. He stared at Odin, stone faced, his voice ice cold. “Do not say her name again, old man.”

Odin snorted. “You see? This is why I did not tell you, any of you. You are a stubborn boy and you think with your heart when you should think with your head. My time is coming. Asgard needs its ruler and you will stop this nonsense and choose a bride by the next full moon.”

“Or what?” Thor snarled. “You’ll disown me as you have Loki? There are far worse fates that I can suffer, father.”

“I did not disown Loki,” Odin said. “But trust that I will disown you, boy, if you do not obey me.”

“You think I need this palace? You think I need this title? You think I need the burden of being an Odinson? Think again. I will gladly lay down my hammer and return to Midgard to live among them rather than stay here and live under your thumb, Odin.”

He thrust the hammer towards his father’s face. “Go on. Take it. Banish me again. I’d prefer it to being in the same room with you right now.”

Odin and Thor glared at each other for a terse second before Frigga stepped between them. She pushed Mjolnir down and folded her hands, her voice measured. “Both of you need to calm down.”

“Frigga—” Odin began.

“Hold your tongue,” she hissed, whirling on him. “You sent for a murderer to marry my son. I do not care if you are angry that we have not fulfilled your orders in the time frame that you wished. What you did to Thor was wrong. There is no grey area in this matter. It was cruel and I will not stand for it. You will never do such a thing to Thor again while I still draw breath. Do you understand me, Odin, son of Bor?”

Odin stood there, impassive, for several stunned seconds, and then nodded. “Acknowledged, my queen.”

She straightened. “We all know you are too prideful to apologize, so let me take it upon myself.”

Frigga faced her son. “I apologize for your father’s actions. You have my word that he will do no such thing like this ever again and he will not interfere with your choice of bride from here on out.”

Thor clenched his jaw, but bowed to her. “Thank you, mother.”

“There.” She glanced at Odin. “Until such a time that we find a lady for whom our son has genuine feelings of affection and loyalty, we will continue our search the way we choose to conduct it. You agreed to allow me to organize it and I will do so without your meddling."

With that, she swept up her skirts and motioned for me to follow her. Along the way, I heard her muttering insults in Old Norse under her breath and bit my lip to keep from cheering her on.

We returned to Frigga’s library and I helped her gather the ingredients she’d need to replicate Loki’s spell that had disrupted Penelope’s magic. It didn’t take too long, so once it was ready, she had me take it downstairs. I had to once again don Loki’s necklace to keep her from controlling me, but I managed to snap it onto her neck without much fuss. She made nasty threats, but that was to be expected. I still couldn’t believe Odin had invited her to Asgard. Then again, Loki had warned me that Odin would stoop to the lowest levels imaginable to get what he wanted. I should have known.

Speaking of which, I tried my hardest not to pay Loki’s cell any mind as I walked back through the cell block, but my damnable peripheral vision ignored me. Loki sat at the edge of his bed, shirtless, his cold green eyes locked on my form as I strode by. _Keep walking,_ I told myself. _Just keep walking._

And then the lumpy sheets beside him stirred and Sonya sat up, clearly naked beneath them, kissing his jaw.

I stopped mid-stride.

“Something wrong?” Sonya asked, smoothing a hand through her messy hair as she kissed her way down Loki’s neck. He just smiled, still staring at me with a hooded look.

“Nothing at all, my little dove.”

Hot tears clouded my vision. I spun and fled up the stairs, choking down a sob of pure frustration. How dare he. How could he sink that low? How could Sonya sink that low? Bastard. He was such a damned bastard. I wanted him to rot and I’d get my wish, and yet all I felt inside was pain.

I threw the necklace back into the closet and collapsed on my bed, hating him with every fiber of my being. Eventually, I dropped off into an exhausted nap and didn’t wake until suppertime. I cleaned myself up and dragged my weary body to continue the chores I had for the day. I wouldn’t be able to see Thor tonight, not since he had a prior engagement. I knew I wasn’t going to sleep well, so I finished up the laundry and headed towards the library.

And down the hallway, coming the opposite direction, was Sonya.

Red-hot fury flushed my skin all over. It was stupid. So stupid. There was no reason for me to be angry at her, and yet I couldn’t stop being angry. It roared inside me like a waterfall as she glanced up from her book and smiled at me. “Evening, love. Off to do some reading?”

I just ignored her and kept going, but then I heard the click of her heels as she turned and came after me. “Goodness me, that was a look. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I growled.

“That is not nothing,” Sonya insisted. “You look like I kicked your wolf pup. What’s the matter?”

“Nothing,” I repeated, louder.

She finally darted in front of me and scowled, hands on her hips. “Look, if this is about Frigga reassigning me to Loki, then trust me, you can have it back. I have no love for the man.”

I didn’t even stop the mocking laugh from spilling out of me. “Oh, clearly.”

Sonya cocked her head. “Pardon me?”

“I saw you wrapped around him like a scarf this afternoon,” I seethed. “Don’t even pretend like you weren’t.”

Sonya stared at me blankly. “You saw _what?”_

“Don’t play dumb, Sonya. When I took the collar down to Penelope, you were there.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “Was I?”

“Yes.”

Sonya shook her head and brushed her thick hair out of her face. “Oh, that is rich. That is so rich. Let me guess—it looked as if I’d slept with him, right?”

My frown retreated. “Wait, are you saying that you didn’t?”

“No!” she insisted. “When I took those books down, he tried to make a pass at me and I turned him down. Hard. Ask the guards. If you saw me down there, then—”

I shut my eyes. “—an illusion.”

“Yes,” she said, distaste in her tone. “He must be playing with your head, sweetheart. Trust me, I have no interest in playing head games with the trickster.”

She gave me a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. “Get it together, dear. He’s in your head and you need to get him out, for your own sake. Good luck.”

Sonya left. I stood there, fuming, and then continued into the library. I grabbed the nearest book off the shelf, threw myself in a chair, and tried my best to read. Nothing stuck. I spent hours staring at the pages and not absorbing anything, too angry to focus. Finally, not too many hours from dawn, I finally gave up and decided to do something truly stupid.

I returned to the cell block.

Loki’s guards gave me disapproving looks, immediately halting me from going up to him. “Milady, the prince has said that—”

“Let me in and walk away,” I growled. “Or I will tell Lady Frigga about that mead break you take every night at moonrise.”

The guards shared a guilty look and then opened the cell enough to let me in before disappearing around the corner.

Loki, in all his arrogance, lay shirtless with his back to me in his bed, not even bothering to roll over. “Get out of my cell, woman.”

I crossed my arms. “Why? Are you expecting another fake Sonya to visit soon?”

His shoulders knotted with tension, but that was the only reaction I could see. “Get. Out.”

“You are a childish brat,” I snarled. “Playing tricks to get a reaction out of someone that you swear not to care about. Do you know what this is really about? This is about the fact that you can’t control me. You don’t give a damn about me, Loki. You just thought you had me all figured out, that was I all yours, that I’d give in to you and not Thor and now you’re a pouting toddler because I proved you wrong. And you’re angry because I am the only person aside from your mother whom you have even a shred of affection toward and you feel betrayed because I care for your brother.”

I stalked over to his bedside. “Well, here is something that will make this easier on both of us: I don’t need you either. I will live the rest of my life making choices that suit my needs, not yours, and you will never manipulate me again. This is the last time you will ever see me and you are so infantile and jealous that you can’t even bear to look me in the eyes—”

Loki leapt up from the bed, grabbed my shoulders, pulled me to him, and kissed me.

I stood completely still, too angry and frustrated to even comprehend what was happening right now. He was kissing me. Loki was kissing me.

He slid his slender fingers up into my hair and jerked my head back, breaking our lips apart. He exhaled hotly against my mouth, his own tipping up into a smug, predatory grin. “Well, now. Who knew that all it took to shut your insufferable mouth was a kiss?”

Before I could retort, his soft lips claimed mine again, his tongue flicking across the lower one. All the chaotic energy that had fueled my foolish decision seemed to gush right out of me. I felt lightheaded and weak and yet pleasure flooded through me as he kissed me. I couldn’t move. I just clung to him, my head swimming, my heart fluttering with confused emotions.

The world shifted. I landed on Loki’s rumpled sheets and his lean body pressed down to hold me in place. He didn’t restrain me, instead deepening the kiss into a string of kisses, each hungrier than the last, his mouth so hot on mine. I’d never felt this kind of fire before. He’d scorch me alive.

He gripped a fistful of my dress and yanked it up to expose my legs, running his slim fingers up my knee to my thigh, squeezing the soft flesh and pushing it to one side. His pelvis fit snugly between my legs and I felt how hard he’d gotten already against my lower stomach. He rocked into me, pushing my dress higher and higher, and I knew he’d keep going unless…unless…

“Stop,” I whimpered against his lips. “Please. Please, Loki.”

The God of Mischief stilled on top of me. His eyes drifted open, his lashes dark, his pupils wide. He stared at me from inches away, so close our lips still touched. He let his gaze rove over me. I hadn’t the strength to move much. My hands were balled into fists resting against his heaving chest, my hair haphazardly lying across part of my forehead and his pillow. My lips ached.

“You don’t want me to stop,” Loki murmured in that low, leonine voice. “I am an empath, you know. I can feel your emotions right now.”

He licked his lips and flattened his hand to my belly, feeling how I trembled all over. “So in a way, I am already inside you. You want this, little dove. So very badly. You want me to consume you entirely. You fear me just as much as you desire me, my attentions, my sex. You have but to say the word and they are yours, pet. I will do things to you that your good, virtuous Thor could never even fathom in the bedroom.”

He pressed hard into me, right up against my wet sex beneath the dress. “And I do not speak of magic.”

I drew as much courage as I could from within. “It doesn’t matter if I want this or not deep down. I don’t want to betray Thor. So please stop it. Stop hurting me. Stop hurting yourself.”

Loki winced. I could see him returning to himself, locking the beast in the cell in his chest once more. “You chose him for this reason, didn’t you? He will not take from you as I have taken from you.”

“That’s not why,” I said quietly. “Thor tries to be the best version of himself that he can. You can do the same, but you choose not to do it.”

I hesitated, but uncurled my fist and touched his face lightly, running my thumb over his cheekbone. “You could be good to me if you wanted to, Loki. But you don’t want to. At least not yet.”

He stared at me, a world of things smoldering in those green eyes, things I would never fully understand. He dropped his forehead onto mine with an exhausted sigh. “Yes. I suppose you’re right. You are a kind and gentle soul. For that reason, I only hope you will forgive me someday.”

“Forgive you for what?”

Loki slid his hand up around my throat. It glowed the same color that it had when he’d healed my arrow wound so long ago. He gave me a long, mournful look and then said, “It’ll wear off in the morning.”

“What will?”

I jerked in the bed as I heard my voice.

It wasn’t my voice.

It was Loki’s.

Then, as I watched, he shapeshifted into me. My body then glowed with the light of his magic and I took on his appearance instead.

“Goodbye, my little dove,” he whispered in my voice, and before I could scream for help, he raised his hand once more and everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AIN'T I A STINKER?


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Consequences abound.

Needless to say, when I awoke an hour later with Loki’s body and voice, the guards didn’t believe me.

I tried everything I could think of, but they either ignored me or told me to shut up. Apparently, Loki had been trying several different things to worm his way out of his cell and that must have been how he worked out what he needed to do to escape.

However, at sunrise, the spell wore off.

Just like the bastard promised.

“—and he’s probably halfway to Midgard by now!”

I jumped as my voice suddenly changed back to normal. The guards jerked in surprise as they saw my image fade and my appearance return to its original form. Both of them turned bloodless as they stared at me. “She…you were telling the truth?!”

“YES!” I bellowed. “You morons! Now let me out of here and go alert the palace that Loki’s escaped!”

One guard cursed loudly and raced for the stairs. The other one started for the door to let me out, but then he stopped dead. “Wait a minute.”

“There’s no time to wait,” I snarled. “He’s been out for hours now and you have to find him before—”

“No,” he said firmly, lowering his hand and glaring at me. “How do we know you’re not in on his escape attempt?”

My jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”

“You visit him all the time. You’re the only one we let in and out of this cell. You’ve obviously gotten close to him, so how do we know you didn’t aid his escape?”

I slammed my fists against the glowing wall. “You are out of your mind if you think I’d commit treason to let that slimy bastard out. If you don’t believe me, fine. Go get Thor and Frigga. Both will vouch for me. Loki tricked me, same as he tricked you.”

He gave me a skeptical look. “I guess we’ll just have to see about that, milady. Stay put.”

With that, he hurried off. I pressed my forehead to the energy barrier in pure frustration, trying not to cry. Bastard. I couldn’t believe he’d done this to me.

A while later, the guards returned to fetch me. No sign of Thor or Frigga. This didn’t bode well. I tried not to assume the worst as they let me out and brought me before the throne. Odin scowled down at me from his seat, but Thor and Frigga were on level with me, both incredibly worried.

“My dear, are you alright?” Frigga asked. “Did he hurt you? Can we—”

“Let the girl speak for herself,” Odin ordered. “And explain how this happened.”

I kept as still as I could, hoping my knees wouldn’t knock together. “Your highness, I visited Loki’s cell early this morning.”

“For what purpose?”

I hesitated. “For…personal reasons, your highness.”

“What personal reasons?”

I licked my lips. “The queen had tasked me with bringing him books in the past.”

“I see. And are we to believe that you often slip away in the dead of night to bring him ‘books’?” Odin asked, his tone heavy with sarcasm and disbelief. Thor aimed a hateful glare at him, but said nothing.

“No, your highness,” I said hoarsely. “I did not bring him books. It was a visit of my own free will.”

“I see. What happened next?”

“Loki adopted my image and voice and then cursed me so that I would look and sound like him while he escaped, pretending to be me. When I woke up, I tried to tell the guards what happened but obviously they weren’t convinced.”

“And for good reason. Loki has spent months trying to trick them into letting him out and thanks to your ‘personal reasons,’ he is now freed.”

I shut my eyes. “Yes, your highness. I have no excuse.”

“We wouldn’t have any use for an excuse even if you had one,” he said. “He was a prisoner for a reason. You sought out the God of Mischief, the trickster, and found yourself swindled like a small child by a street magician. Who knows what havoc he will wreak upon the Nine Realms now that he is loose? For that reason, you will take his place.”

“No!” Thor darted forward in front of me. “You will not imprison this girl. I swear by my hammer, Odin, I will not stand for it. She is innocent.”

Odin stood, furious. “She has been consorting with the most villainous prisoner in our galley. She aided his escape whether inadvertently or on purpose. You will not defy me, boy.”

“I will,” Thor snarled. “If you imprison her, I will abdicate the throne.”

Odin gritted his teeth. “You foolish boy. A servant girl is not worth your title as a prince.”

“She is not a servant. Not to me. Not to anyone.”

“Again, you think with your heart and not your head, boy. She clearly has lain with Loki and yet you defend her simply because she has kept your bed warm as well.”

We both stiffened. Odin shook his head. “Of course I can tell that you have been sporting with her in secret. It will not save her from her sentence and nor will you.”

“She goes free,” Thor whispered with simmering rage. “Or your line ends with me, Odin.” 

The King of Asgard glared down at his son for a painfully long time. I just stood there, wishing for it to be over, whether I was saved or not. “You are still a fool to let such things matter to you. You are no more ready for the throne now as you were when I banished you.”

Thor snorted derisively. “On that we agree.”

“The girl will go free,” Odin spat. “But you will stop this foolish relationship and find a wife with a proper woman, not a servant girl.”

Thor rushed forward. “Odin—”

Frigga intercepted him. He stopped. “Mother—”

“I believe,” she interrupted. “The young lady was given an order to speak for herself. Why don’t we let her?”

Frigga gestured to me, giving me a small nod that I somehow understood all of the sudden. I considered the Allfather for a long moment before I spoke. “I understand that as a king, you are obligated to do what is necessary to protect Asgard’s way of life and ensure that it has a future after you have passed on. I understand that a king’s duty is to his people, not to himself, not even to his family. I understand that there are many things you consider when you decree what is to be done in your kingdom. There is no doubt that you are a mighty king.”

I narrowed my eyes at Odin. “But you are a lousy father.”

Beside me, Thor inhaled sharply.

“You treat Thor as if he is a chess piece to be moved around on a board,” I said. “As if he is not a kind, generous, wise soul who has made sacrifice after sacrifice for you and for this kingdom. You ignore his desires, calling them useless and fleeting because he is young, and yet the decisions you have made are based around your own selfish desire to see the ‘rightful’ son on the throne after you have gone. I will not excuse Loki’s actions, but he was right about one thing. You never intended him the throne and you instead placed all your expectations on Thor’s shoulders, forcing him to be you against his will, and alienating your other son who would have given just as much for the opportunity. Furthermore, your prejudice in deciding that Thor should wed against his will to a woman of a certain class is elitist nonsense. Being royalty does not immediately assure that she will be a good queen and that she can or wants to produce an heir. You haven’t even bothered to know your son well enough to ask if he wishes to have children, as it is perfectly within his right as a man not to want them nor to want a wife. Thor will do the right thing for Asgard, always, without question, because he is a good man, not because he is a good prince. His title means nothing. Who he is as a man means everything and he should not be held to an impossible standard so much that he has to hide his relationship with me. I do not think myself equal to him or to you, so if I am never to see him again, then so be it. However, if you want Asgard to flourish after you are gone, then let Thor be who he is without the shackles you have forced onto him and onto the people who care about him. Fate should be decided by the man, not the king.”

I paused and gave him a sharp smile. “And I did not lay with Loki, but even if I did, I would not have regretted it. The queen has raised two compelling, powerful men in this palace and any woman would be lucky to have them.”

Suffocating silence fell. Odin’s expression was unreadable. I’d expected hellfire to rain down from the skies to smite me, but instead he just sat there as if unable to move.

Then I heard slow clapping behind me.

“Well,” Loki purred. “That was dramatic.”

Immediately, the guards pounced. I winced as they slammed into the throne room floor, flying right through the illusion. They’d moved too quickly for me to warn them it wasn’t really him. Loki chuckled under his breath and stepped forward until his illusion stood beside me.

“Such a sharp tongue, darling,” he cooed to me. “And to the king of Asgard, no less. You are something special, aren’t you?”

“Go to hell, Loki,” I spat.

He winked at me. “Probably will, yes.”

Loki cleared his throat and addressed his family. “I’m sure you’re wondering why I deemed it necessary to return in some form.”

“No doubt to gloat,” Thor said through his teeth. “Go ahead. It will make it that much more satisfying when I find you and drag you back to your cell.”

“I am here to gloat,” Loki agreed. “But also after my escape, I found it necessary to clear the name of the maiden, for I knew Odin’s terrible reputation for blaming people for their shortcomings and I did not wish my prison sentence to be passed along to her instead.”

He stood slightly straighter, his hands folded behind him, his expression solemn. “She did nothing wrong. I tricked her. I preyed upon her sweet nature to get what I wanted out of her and there is no reason to punish her for not being as cold and cynical as I have become.”

Loki glanced at his mother. “And you know me best. You know when I speak the truth and when I lie. I am not lying, am I?”

Frigga took a deep breath before answering. “My son speaks the truth.”

Loki’s expression wavered for a single second at her words. _My son,_ she’d said. Even now, Frigga wouldn’t reject him. She had more heart than any of us combined. “Thank you, mother.”

“I accept that you have cleared the girl’s name,” Odin said. “But it will not grant you any leniency. You will be caught and you will be returned to your cell to serve your sentence, Loki. We will never stop looking for you.”

“I do not doubt it, Allfather,” he drawled with a roll of his eyes. “And I will have you chasing your tails until the end of time if I have my way.”

He turned to Thor. “In the meantime, treat this woman with the utmost respect or I shall flay your skin from your bones, son of Odin. She may be naïve, but you could not do better for a future queen of Asgard.”

My jaw dropped. He smirked at me. “If that is what she desires.”

He strode past us. “Farewell, House of Odin.”

With that, his image vanished. The guards fanned out in hopes of finding any trace of him, but we knew they wouldn’t. Loki wouldn’t risk his capture so easily.

Odin heaved a great sigh. “Two troublesome princes, both advocating for the same handmaiden. This is an irksome day.”

His single eye landed on me. “Your words have been heard, maiden. The might of Asgard rests not with just its elite royalty. It is in every citizen. Thor is no longer ordered to wed. I will not endorse this relationship, neither will I prohibit it. However, you will prove your worth to my son. It is your task to help him locate Loki and bring him back to his cell. Only then will you be considered as his lady within this court. Do you understand?”

I curtsied. “Yes, your highness.”

He tapped the scepter on the floor and the court was dismissed.

Thor and I walked towards the war room to prepare a map to search for Loki. He wouldn’t stop staring at me. “What?”

“You stood up to my father,” he said in awe. “Knowing he had the power to execute you or sentence you to life in prison.”

“Yes, well, we both know I’m not very smart.”

Thor stopped, caught my waist, and pulled me to him. He kissed me sweetly, passionately. I almost melted into a puddle. He stroked my cheek after pulling away, his eyes holding me in them. “I have never had a woman stand up for me aside from my mother. You are courageous and valiant, my lady. Thank you.”

“I had a pretty good reason to be,” I told him. “Someone’s got to look out for you.”

He grinned. “Aye. We shall be just fine on our adventures together. Loki can only hide in so many places. We will find him and bring him back, no matter what it takes. Are you with me, my lady?”

I lifted onto my toes to kiss him. “Always, my king.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This might be the final chapter? Let me sleep on it. Haven't decided yet, but don't be shocked if it is. Thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader and Thor set out to find Loki.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo I randomly got inspired to keep going with this fic! Idk. Let's just roll with it.

“Do you want the good news or the bad news first?” Thor said as we mounted our horses to head down the Rainbow Bridge towards the Bi-Frost. He’d told me to pack a few days’ worth of supplies just in case as we began our search for the treacherous God of Mischief. I’d bid my fellow handmaidens goodbye for the time being. They’d been supportive and sweet, but worried, as it was rare a handmaiden would leave the palace walls for adventures such as these. I was more than a little nervous, but determined nonetheless.

“The bad news,” I said, nudging my mare forward.

“Loki has a lead on us. It will make it difficult to catch up to him.”

“And the good news?”

Thor smirked. “I know my brother. Therefore, I know at least part of his plan. I sent the guards to check Odin’s treasure troves and they confirmed there is quite a bit missing. The vault has been pilfered as well. Loki will first sell off the rare items in order to secure himself a small fortune before he decides where it is that he will lay low. He is wanted across the galaxies for his war with Midgard and for failing to deliver the Tesseract, which will limit his options.”

I nodded. “Makes sense. So where are we headed?”

“Nowhere.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “That’s encouraging.”

Thor smiled. “No, my lady, Knowhere.”

“Oh. You think he’ll see the Collector?”

“Precisely. Tivan is no stranger to Asgard. He will pay Loki the highest units for his items, so we must get there as soon as possible and see if he has been there yet. If he has, we likely can bribe Tivan into telling us where Loki is headed. If not, then we will search the most likely places until we pick up on his trail. We’ll use the Bifrost for now, but we may need to procure a ship for our remaining travels.”

He nodded to the necklace. “Were you able to speak to Frigga?”

“Yes. She told me the spell that might help us locate him if we’re within range and she helped me conceal the necklace from Loki’s detection as well.”

“Good work, my lady,” he said with a wink. I tried not to blush.

We reached the Bi-Frost and the mighty Heimdall faced us, his expression remote but friendly. “Your majesty.”

“Heimdall,” Thor said cheerfully. “Any chance you can locate the bastard?”

Heimdall chuckled. “Unfortunately, Loki has long been able to conceal himself from my Sight. I can only say he did not use the Bi-Frost for his escape. There are many paths off of Asgard that the God of Mischief is privy to after so many years of trickery.”

His russet eyes flicked over to me and he nodded in greeting. “My lady.”

I bowed to him. “Heimdall.”

“I wish you the utmost luck in your pursuit of the trickster. Be vigilant, for he is clever and he will not be easily caught.”

“Thank you, Heimdall.”

He placed the great sword into the Bi-Frost and gave it a quarter turn. The Rainbow Bridge hummed with magic and brilliant lights cascaded out into the inky expanse before us. “Be careful. Knowhere is quite treacherous.”

“Aye,” Thor said, offering his hand to me. I took it. “Keep an eye on things while I’m gone, will you?”

Heimdall chuckled and rolled his eyes at the bad pun. “Aye, your majesty.”

Thor and I stepped into the Bi-Frost together. I slipped my other arm around him as it carried us off like a powerful river current, sweeping us thousands of miles through the emptiness in mere seconds. It was blinding, exhilarating, and chaotic, but beautiful all the same.

The next time I blinked, I found myself at the edge of Knowhere.

We stood near the marketplace with its jagged, random assortment of small buildings and shops, crowded with miscreants of every variety. We’d both pulled on cloaks before our departure to help disguise us, as we didn’t want anyone warning Loki if he were here. We pushed through the crowds until we reached dwelling place of Taneleer Tivan, the Collector.

We’d barely set foot at the entrance before a young alien girl appeared in little awkward steps, her smile forced and robotic. “Welcome. He has been expecting you, your majesty.”

Thor sent me a worried glance. “Pardon me?”

She gestured inside. “Please enter, your highness.”

The girl continued forward and we followed, both of us keeping our hands near our weapons. Inside, we found an enormous structure teeming with animals and aliens of all kinds, trapped within impossibly small cages. Sad or angry eyes fell upon us as we strode into the lair. My skin tried to crawl off my very bones at being in such a desolate place.

At the center console stood a man in extravagant furs, his eyes beady and black and greedy. The girl gestured to him. “May I present to you, Taneleer Tivan, The Collector.”

The white-haired man performed an extravagant bow. “Welcome to my humble abode, future King of Asgard.”

Thor lowered his hood and scowled. “I take it he told you we were coming.”

“No,” the Collector cooed, a smirk on his dark lips. “Just a feeling, your highness.”

“I am in no mood for games, Tivan,” Thor growled. “You know why we are here.”

“Yes, yes,” Tivan sighed. “Your wayward brother. Such a pity to see the House of Odin in such a state.”

“When was he here?”

Tivan smirked. “Not before we discuss payment, O Prince of Asgard.”

Thor rolled his eyes. “How much?”

“Three million.”

Thor huffed out a breath. He reached into his knapsack and withdrew a fat velvet bag, jingling with gold and precious stones we’d also taken from the vault. He tossed it to the Collector. “I am sure that will more than suffice.”

Tivan popped the bag open and selected a diamond the size of an apple. He smiled. “It will indeed, your highness.”

He slipped the diamond into the sack, pulled it shut, and threw it to the girl idly. “Count every stone. Polish them when you are done.”

“Yes, master.” She shuffled away. My stomach turned at the sight.

“Curious,” Tivan said, tilting his head and drawing my attention. “You usually travel with the Warriors Three. Who is your lovely companion?”

He stalked forward and caught my hand, kissing it. His lips were cold and chapped.

“I would see Loki returned to his cell same as Thor,” I said carefully, wary of Tivan’s sudden attention. “That is all you need to know.”

“Hmm,” The Collector said, letting go and stepping back. “Perhaps you are why Loki’s disposition was more sour than usual.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “When was he here?”

Tivan’s smirk returned. “Less than an hour ago.”

I hissed out a curse under my breath. Thor stepped forward. “How much did you trade him for the gold?”

“Four hundred million units. He will be buying a better ship, I’d wager. If you are nimble, you may be able to catch him if he has not already left Knowhere. Happy hunting, your highness.”

Tivan winked at me. “And lady.”

We drew up our cloaks and left in a hurry. “There are several places for purchasing ships, but only two that are not hostile to Asgardians. I shall take the one on the west end. There is another to the south.”

I nodded. “Good luck.”

Thor stooped and kissed me. “You as well, my lady.”

We split up. I kept a quick pace, but didn’t run to avoid drawing attention to myself. I headed south until I reached a pier that had several towering levels with battered ships on display. I scrutinized the ones I could see closely, figuring out which ones may have been worth purchasing for the God of Mischief. There were a few vessels suitable for just one or two passengers that could survive a long journey, so I slipped inside to take a look around.

There were four booths where the merchants haggled with potential customers over the price as well as a bar down the center of the establishment. A few hooligans sat drinking and arguing with the bartender over the high prices for the alcohol, some patrons seated to eat the meager food the place provided. I knew Loki wouldn’t be himself, but in a disguise, since there was no reason to draw attention when he was on the run. I walked over and ordered a water, keeping my head down, but observing the seven aliens within its walls.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t left in peace.

A hulking grey alien pushed up from the table and lumbered over to me, his pig nose blasting hot, sour air as he came to stop in front of me. He gave me a long glance with milky eyes and said, “How much?”

I bristled. “Not for sale. Piss off.”

He grunted. “This is Knowhere. Everything’s got a price, sweetheart.”

“How much would I get for your carcass, then?” I spat. “Get away from me.”

He glared and muttered something in his language, but shuffled past me to disappear around another corner. I drank my water and then whispered the spell to the necklace, concentrating on the bit of magic I could wield. Not every Asgardian had a talent for it. Some could wield it completely and some could only sense it or harness it in small bursts. I was one of the latter. It had been one of the reasons I’d become a handmaiden, as I hadn’t the ability to be of better use to the palace.

The necklace vibrated with the spoken incantation’s power and levitated from my sternum, pointing towards the door. I paid for the water and left the building. The necklace jerked to my right. An alley between the shop and the parlor beside it. Then it flopped back against my chest limply. Damn. I hadn’t enough magic to keep it going for more than a few seconds, apparently.

I headed into the alley with a wary gaze. It was dark and cool, which put me on edge. Maybe I’d tipped him off, if he was even here. I’d have to be careful. I didn’t think Loki wanted me dead, but he’d harm me if it meant escaping for sure.

Halfway down the alley, the hairs on my nape stood on end.

The grey alien leapt out and grabbed my throat, slamming me into the wall behind me. My head collided with it, stunning me for a moment, my limbs going rubbery in seconds from the pain. He closed his fist enough to shut off my air so I couldn’t scream.

“Not for sale, eh?” he sneered, drool dripping from his tusks. “We’ll see about that.”

I gritted my teeth and kicked him in the groin as hard as possible.

He yelped and his grip loosened. I sucked in a lungful of air and grabbed his enormous thumb, snapping it in one brutal motion. He let me go and I dropped to the ground awkwardly, going on one knee as my body tried to work again. He brought both his fists up to smash me, but before he could, there was a meaty smacking sound and his eyes rolled back. I scrambled backward as he hit the ground in front of me, unconscious.

Thor dusted off hands in disgust. “Never much liked Ferblanchens.”

He stepped over the floored alien and offered me his hand, pulling me to my feet. “Thank you,” I said gratefully, shaking my head a bit to clear it.

Thor smiled and cupped my cheek. “A king protects his queen.”

He kissed me. The pain throbbing on my skull immediately smoothed away. Pleasure rushed through me in its place. The adrenaline from the fight only made it that much more potent; in seconds, I was panting into his mouth, gripping his tunic to pull him closer to feel his warmth and strength. Thor exhaled lustfully and pushed me up against the wall, his tongue licking my lips apart. He reached down and wrapped my leg around his hip, grinding up into me as his fingers trailed across the column of my throat.

And he was too distracted to stop me from drawing the dagger from the small of my back and angling it beneath his chin.

His blue eyes opened to find me smirking up at him. “Hello, Loki.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a short chapter, I know. More on the way.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The maiden and Loki square off. A startling discovery is made.

“Such a clever little dove,” Loki purred in his actual voice, though he still wore Thor’s body. It was extremely unnerving. “And so feisty. You defended yourself rather well. Perhaps the life of a handmaiden was not fitting for you after all.”

“Funny,” I said. “The life of a criminal suits you well.”

He chuckled darkly. “Perhaps it does. To that end, drop the knife.”

“Why in the nine hells would I do that?” I demanded.

“Because I have my hand around your throat and I can crush it in seconds,” he drawled, finally dropping the illusion so that he appeared as himself. He gave my neck a tiny squeeze just to remind me. I tensed, but left my dagger under his chin regardless.

“Then we die together,” I said, hoping he couldn’t hear the waver in my voice. “My last act will be to cut your throat, God of Mischief. Your choice.”

He stared down at me in contemplation. “Could you truly do it, my little dove? Slit my throat. Watch the life bleed out of my eyes. Soak these lovely hands in my blood.”

Loki leaned in closer, his voice a rough whisper. “I do not see it.”

“See what?”

“I do not see the eyes of a killer here. You are tough as steel, my pet, but you will not kill me even if it means that you will never be acknowledged as Thor’s lover in the courts of Asgard. You do not know the depths to which I am willing to sink in order to survive and thwart Odin and my brother. For your own safety, I suggest you return to the palace and let the son of Odin blunder through the stars alone in his vain search for me.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” I said with a lightness I in no way felt. “I did catch you in only a day.”

He smirked. “I let you catch me.”

I scowled. “Is that right?”

“Mm-hmm. How else would I be able to find myself in this position again?” I hissed as he suddenly rocked his hips into me, his hand still holding my thigh around his waist, his cock hard beneath his trousers. I wriggled, trying to get loose, but his hand only tightened on my leg to keep me still.

“Are you still pretending you do not want me?” he asked, brushing his lips over the corner of mine. “Or have you finally seen the light?”

I glared. “I’m bringing you in, Loki. You used me. Humiliated me.”

“Yes,” he sighed. “Shall I make it up to you, darling?”

Loki rutted into me again, harder this time, somehow knowledgeable enough to graze my clit with that thrust. Even through layers of clothing, it made my knees weak and my breath stutter. I kept a good grip on the blade, but I knew I’d started trembling from the mixture of fear and arousal he’d created.

“I could fuck you right now,” he whispered, sliding his hand down towards my backside. “Hard. Fast. Find that sweet little spot inside you and exploit it. Make you cry out for me. Bring you to the gates of Valhalla themselves. Thor would never have to know about it. After all, he said it himself. You are your own. You belong to no one. You could have me, pet. All to yourself.”

He cupped my ass and slid his mouth towards my ear, unafraid of the weapon still so delicately balanced beneath his jaw, slowly rubbing the bulge in his pants along my hot core. “Come with me. Let me take you to bed. Let me unravel you. Let me repay my debt to you with every carnal delight hiding in your heart of hearts. Think of what we could do together. My flesh against yours. My cock filling you over and over again, slaking that thirst inside you, satisfying your curiosity about just what I can do to you that your virtuous Thor cannot. I long to please you, little dove.”

“Do you know what would please me, Loki?” I whispered back huskily.

“Tell me, darling.”

I gripped a handful of his hair and jerked his head back, my voice cold. “You, in chains, back in your cell where you belong.”

Loki let out a low laugh, licking his lips, his pupils wide, his expression hungry. “Very well. You can play hard to get if you wish. Should you see fit to surrender, however, I will make it worth your while.”

Too late, I noticed his hand around my throat glowing gold as it had last night. “Loki—”

“Until next time, pet,” he murmured, kissing me, and then everything went black.

* * *

“My lady?”

A familiar worried voice filled my ears and brought me back from under the surface of the deep sleep I’d been in. My eyelids felt a thousand pounds. Someone’s careful touch supported my head. I finally managed to wake to see Thor kneeling over me, his hand on my cheek.

“Better be the real you this time,” I slurred, trying to frown up at him.

“The real me?” he asked.

“Damn it,” I muttered as my memory fully returned. “Loki was here. Pretending to be you. I almost—”

Then it dawned on me. I touched my throat and discovered it bare. I shut my eyes again and swore. “That’s why he let me catch up to him. He wanted the necklace back. Bastard.”

“We need not worry about it now,” Thor said, gently helping me sit up. “Are you hurt?”

“I’m not sure,” I said. “I’ve never seen Loki put anyone to sleep before. I think…I think he did something to me when he healed me. Maybe he left an imprint of his magic inside me and that’s why he can put me under a sleep spell if he touches me.”

Thor frowned. “It sounds like something he would do. We must return to Asgard and see if my mother can remove it.”

I perked up then. “Wait a minute. Maybe that’s it. The necklace is gone, but if his magic is still connected to me—”

“Then perhaps we can use that to track him instead,” Thor finished with an eager grin. “You are brilliant, my lady. Come.”

We called for Heimdall and returned to Asgard via the Bi-Frost and sought out the queen. Frigga brought us to her chambers and had me sit down as she conjured her own magic to see what remained of Loki’s essence.

“You are certainly right,” Frigga said, frowning with her hands outstretched, palms facing my chest. “His magic is nested within your life force. It’s curious. He’s woven a very interesting spell that is almost undetectable, which is likely why you had no idea it even existed.”

“Is it harmful?” Thor asked.

“No, it’s like…” She almost smiled. “Well, it’s rather like the necklace he gave you: an adornment. Alone, it does nothing. However, if he is in contact with her, then he is able to pull from that magic to compel her.”

I felt a sudden chill. “Can he…control me with it?”

“No, dear,” she said reassuringly. “Your will is far too strong. He must have worked out that you would pursue him after he escaped, so this is much like a fail-safe to keep you from cornering him.”

“Why wouldn’t he do something like this to Thor, then?” I asked.

“Loki’s magic is often interrupted by the presence of Mjolnir,” Thor answered. “The most he has ever been able to do is cast an illusion over me, nothing more. He cannot tamper with my life force.”

I licked my lips. “Can you remove it, milady?”

She sighed. “It’s complicated. It is not harmful in its natural state, but it may become malignant if I were to tamper with it myself.”

I sighed. “I am not surprised to hear that. Would we be able to use it to track him?”

Frigga paced for a moment, thinking it over. “It is possible, but it would put you under a great strain, my dear.”

“How so?” Thor asked.

“Think of the magic he’s left as a door. Doors open from both sides. You could use it to track him, but it would be opening her to his magic and his essence in its entirety. He may be able to sense her, even speak to her, through that doorway.”

I winced. “So he’d be in my head and I’d be in his?”

“Essentially, yes. I would only advise it as a last resort if you cannot find him the traditional way.”

“Aye,” Thor agreed. “We do not want any harm to come to you in our pursuit of him. Is it possible for him to use this doorway?”

Frigga shook her head. “No, it would require another spell to connect the two of them. She is safe.”

Thor squeezed her hand. “Thank you, mother.”

He strode over to me and kissed my forehead. “I will prepare a ship for us and pick up on his trail. Then I will send for you. When we find him, we’ll make him remove it and you will be free of his influence. This I promise, my lady.”

I smiled up at him warmly. “Hurry back to me.”

His eyes sparkled. “Post haste, my darling.”

He left Frigga’s chambers. The queen patted her skirts and then sat next to me. “Now then, tell me. How are you really feeling? Spare no details.”

“Milady—”

“It is alright,” she said softly. “I am concerned for you. I am not in judgment of you.”

I wrung my hands. “I…I’m worried about the magic just…living inside me. Are you sure he can’t fiddle with my mind or my actions?”

She touched my hands to make them stop fidgeting. “Yes. As I said, he did not place some kind of mind spell upon you. You will feel no compulsions nor any commands from him whatsoever.”

Frigga paused, as if trying to figure out what to say next. “But I sense that you are torn.”

“I’m not,” I said immediately, and then cringed as I realized how defensive it sounded. “Your majesty, I mean every word when I say I want him brought to justice.”

“And I believe you,” she agreed. “But perhaps it is not so simple.”

“What do you mean?”

“It is alright that you care for him,” she said quietly. “I of all people understand. Loki’s actions are reprehensible, but he can be compelling in his own way. You should not torture or berate yourself for his escape. You should not bear guilt that you have any sort of feelings for him. In fact, it might be the very thing that helps you find him. You connected with him in a way that no one has before, and not just because of the magic he instilled in you. Use that knowledge. Trust your instincts.”

I swallowed hard. “Lady Frigga, I…is it wrong that—”

“No,” she said firmly. “I wish there were another way as well.”

I nodded. “Thank you, my queen.”

“You are most welcome, my maiden. And I meant what I said.” She gave me a piercing look. “If you need anything at all, you only have to ask.”

“Yes, your majesty.” I left her quarters then with plenty of food for thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know these are two short, Loki-heavy chapters, but don't worry, we're back on track with Thor/Reader in the next ones.


End file.
